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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

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THE 



EXHIBITING A 

BUYET ACCOTJXT 

0F THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONNECTED WITH THE DIFFICULTY 
WHICH OF LATE HAS TRANSPIRED IN THE 

VILLAGE OF PAWTUCKET, 

Relating to the Meetinghouse, commonly called Free Will Baptist Meetinghouse* 
Together with the proceedings of the Free Will Baptist Elders' Conference, towards 



ELDER RAY POTTER, 

WITH STRICTURES UPON THE SAME ? 
ADDRESSED PARTICULARLY TO 

FREE WILL BAPTISTS. 




" Do not rich men oppress you ?" 
il Go to, ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you." 

James, 



providence : 
john miller, printer* 



J 823. 



**$* 



PREFACE. 

I think it to be a duty that I owe to the cause of 
truth, to my christian friends, and to the publick, to 
lay before them the following statement. Not because 
I wish to injure any individual man, or set of men, nor 
unnecessarily to expose the faults, errours, or iniquity 
of any ; but because I wish, if possi ble to prevent errour 
from injuring others, and also to bear that testimony 
against iniquity, which seems to be my duty. 

I have for a number of years been endeavouring to 
labour in the vineyard of the Lord, and have formed a 
considerable of an extensive acquaintance, especially 
with the people called Free Will Baptists, with whom 
I have formerly been connected, and affectionately 
loved. I am well persuaded that the members of this 
society, generally, do not understand the true state of 
the difficulty which has transpired here, nor the pro- 
ceedings of the Elders' Conference towards me. And 
as they havepublickly impeached me in their periodi- 
cal paper, entitled the Religious Informer, I think it no 
more than reasonable that 1 should be permitted to an- 
swer for myself before the publick. 

If the following account should be found incorrect 
in any material point, let it be shown wherein — but let 
not a few professional ministers expect to arrest the 
progress of truth, or to crush its advocates by a vain 
show of pretended power, or an empty sound about civ- 
il authority, for we thank heaven that we live in a coun- 
try where the poor have an equal privilege with the 
rich, to vindicate themselves from false aspersions, and 
expose errour, which is calculated to be injurious to 
the publick, in its native deformity. 

I can assure the Free Will Baptist brethren, that I do 
not feel disposed to renounce them in general, because 
some few have, as I conceive, acted very inconsistently 
in the affair here referred to, but love them as christians 
still. 

RAY POTTER. 

Pawtucket, April, 1823. 



THE POOR MJA'S DEFENCE, be. 



When the agreement was made to leave the settlement of this 
meetinghouse difficulty, to men chosen for that purpose there was 
nothing mentioned about lawyers having any thing to say or do in the 
affair. 

About a day before the appointed time for the men to meet, Mr. 
Greene expressed his determination to have an attorney ; this he 
would not dispense with, but declared his intention, if we would 
not submit, to drive it into the law. He had been advising with an at- 
torney almost a year upon the subject, and of course was well prepar- 
ed on this ground ; while on the other hand, we had none engaged, 
and scarcely sufficient time to give him the least information with re- 
gard to the case — besides being averse to having lawyers engaged in 
the affair. 

In this condition we knew not what to do, but finally concluded, in 
order to have the business decided, to submit to his unreasonable, and 
for us, unequal proposition. We spoke to an attorney but a few hours 
before the time appointed, who after the referees had taken their 
seats, introduced the case, by making a few remarks, and then read- 
ing the record of the first establishment of the church, as follows : 

" Book of Records of the Church of Christ, in Pawtucket, MassacJui- 
setts, commonly called Free Will Baptist; Constituted October 1th, 1820 
— under the watch and care of Elder Ray Potter." 

On the evening of the 7th of October, 1820, a number of brethren 
and sisters, lately baptized by Elder Ra}' Potter, (whose names will 
be hereafter specified,) together with Deacon Gardner Buffington, 
and his wife, Mary Buffington, and her daughter Harriet Buffington — 
all of whom had formerly been members of the church of Christ, in 
Swanzey, Mass. Also, brother Daniel Greene, formerly a member of 
the Calvinistick Baptist Church in Pawtucket, and Elder Ray Potter, 
assembled at the house of Deacon Gardner Buffington, in the village 
of Pawtucket, on Seekonk side, Mass. for the purpose of joining or 
embodying themselves together, as a church of Christ. 

After prayer to Almighty God, to be owned, and blessed, and direct- 
ed by his holy spirit, in the present very solemn and important under- 
takings, we proceeded to consider the subject for which we met. Af- 
ter conversing upon the subject of church government, and what was 



to be understood by a visible church of Christ, the following persons 
joined hands, thereby manifesting that they united themselves togeth- 
er as a church of God ; taking the scriptures of truth* as their only 
book of discipline and rule of faith and practice. [Here follow the 
names which it is unnecessary to transcribe.] 

After the persons above referred to, had united as a church, they 
unanimously admitted Elder Ray Potter, as one of their members, and 
likewise as an under shepherd, to take the watch and care of the 
church. It was also agreed, that Deacon Gardner Buffington, should 
officiate in said office in the church. The church also, chose Elder 
Ray Potter for their clerk. 

Although this church, has clwsen for its pastor Elder Ray Potter, 
who is likewise considered as a preacher in the Free Will Bap- 
tist connexion yet it is understood that the church is constituted upon the 
principle of having the privilege and authority to order its oxson con- 
cerns, without being restricted or biassed by any other church or church- 
es zvhaiever. 

The above record was written, and laid 'before the church, in 
meeting, and duly approved by them. Witness, 

RAY POTTER, Clerk. 

After reading the foregoing record, the deed was read, which is as 
follows : 

Knozv all rnen_ by these presents, that WE Timothy Greene, and Sam- 
Tiel Slater, both of North Providence, in the state of Rhode-Island, 
and William Wilkinson of Providence in the same state, Esquires, in 
consideration of .our regard and esteem for the Free Will Baptist 
church,! in Seekonk, Massachusetts, and the sum of one dollar, paid 
by said Free Will Baptist church, the receipt whereof we do hereby 
acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, sell, and convey, unto the dea- 
cons of said Free Will Baptist church, in Seekonk, and their successors 
in said church for ever, to' and for the sale, use, benefit and improve- 
ment of said church, in such way and manner as to said church may 
seem meet and proper." 

(Here I propose the following queries and answers, which if re- 
membered, will serve as an elucidation of the matter throughout. 



* Not the notions of men — not a quarterly meeting, nor an Elder's 
Conference. 

| This deed was acknowledged September 18, 1821 — and I ask any 
man or all men to shew me if they can, that there was any other 
church of this description in Seekonk, except the one, the records of 
the establishment of which has just been exhibited. Consequently 
the deed was not given to a church under the jurisdiction or control 
of any other churches, quarterly meetings, or council of elders, but 
to a church which was constituted upon the plan or principle of hav- 
ing the authority to govern itself, and consequently when any other 
churches interfered, to try to deprive them of this right they made a 
crook. 



Question.— Who was the deacon or deacons of said church, at the 
time this deed was given, viz, Sept. 18, 1821 ? 

Answer — Deacon Buffington. 

Q. — Did the quarterly meeting, or any committee from the quar- 
terly meeting, or counsel, or conference of Free Will Baptist elders, 
appoint him a deacon in that church, at or previous -to the foregoing 
date ? 

A. — It positively did not ; but, the plain truth is, Deacon Buffing- 
tun, at this time, had no appointment as a deacon in said church, but 
that which he received from the church ; and never was in a Free 
Will Baptist quarterly meeting, until months after, viz : the following 
winter, at Johnston, when the elders' conference was at deacon 01- 
ney's on Saturday evening. He could not therefore be recognized by 
the quarterly meeting until that time, and that was after the meeting- 
house was completed. I now ask a straight question : if this church 
had the authority to appoint a deacon, unto whom could a deed be le- 
gally given ? had they not the same authority to displace him, and 
appoint a successor or successors, unto whom the same deedshouldrun 
agreeably to the very language thereof ? If not, I ask why the dea- 
con of any church in this state, or any other, after his first appoint- 
ment, may not go and get recognized by the Free Will Baptist quar- 
terly meeting, and carry off their meetinghouse, whether they are wil- 
ling or not ? Let it also be remembered, that this was the point upon 
which the business turned, viz : Deacon Butfington being recognized 
by the quarterly meeting, as you will plainly see in the report of the 
referees," that Gardner Buffington is recognized as deacon of said 
church, and, that no person can legally officiate as deacon of said 
church, unless such person is ordained or recognized as such, by said 
quarterly meeting of Free Will Baptists." — See report. 

And yet deacon Buffington never was recognized or ordained by the 
quarterly meeting until months after the deed was given, and the house 
finished: consequently the deed, accordingto the above report, could 
not have been given to a deacon, in the Free Will Baptist connex- 
ion. Oh ! what crooks are here ! 

There are a number of churches, 1 know, called Free Will Baptist, 
which are not in the connexion of any quarterly meeting, of this par- 
ticular connexion or denomination. But according to the foregoing 
their deacons cannot legally officiate in said churches, without bein«' 
ordained or recognized by some quarterly meeting. Consequently, I 
see no difficulty, according to the foregoing hypothesis, in the quar- 
terly meeting recognizing all of them, and so taking meetinghouses 
by the dozen.) But to proceed with the deed where we left off, <•'- ac- 
cording to a law of said commonwealth, passed February 20th, 1786, 
entitled " an act for the better securing, and rendering more effectual, 
grants and donations, to pious and charitable uses." A certain tract of 
land on which said church are now erecting a meetinghouse, situate in 
Seekonk aforesaid, in the village of Pawtucket, bounded as follows :" 
[Here follows the boundary, &c. as usual, whick it is unnecessary to- 
transcribe.] 



H 

After reading the foregoing, I was permitted to read a few remarks 
which I had committed to writing, relative to the case, which were as 
follow : 

This is a record (referring to the church record,) of the first estab- 
lishment of this church. It is we presume plain to be understood. — 
The most essential and prominent features are, that it takes the scrip- 
tures of truth alone, for its only rule of faith and practice, with the ex- 
clusive right to manage and govern its own concerns. Consequently 
no other church or churches, no combination or association of church- 
es, no quarterly meeting or yearly meeting have now, or ever had a 
right to usurp authority over it. This was a point which was partic- 
ularly canvassed at or about the time of the first establishment of the 
church. 

The present pastor of the church, positively, refused to have any 
thing to do in the organization of it, without it was established upon 
these principles. That it was commonly called a Free Will Baptist 
church, we do not, nor never did pretend to deny, but that it ever 
had, and yet has the privilege of governing its own concerns, without 
being biassed or restricted by any other churches or ministers, we 
positively affirm and plainly prove. For this church, established up- 
on these principles, was this house built. The subscriptions were 
received from the publick for this purpose, and unto this very church 
established or constituted on these principles, is the lot of land, on 
which the house is erected, deeded — this church paid the considera- 
tion for the same. 

At that time, or at the time when this house was erected, Mr. 
Greene was a member of the church ; he acted as an agent for the 
church in receiving subscriptions from the publick, making contracts, 
&c. It eventually happened that the church became quite dissatis- 
fied with the religious walk of Mr. Greene, and they, for good reasons, 
as they supposed, and are ready to shew, set him aside from the churchy 
The great majority of the members became convinced that he was the 
means of injury to the church, inasmuch as he appeared to walk disor- 
derly, being a busy body, meddling with things which he ought not — 
all of which conduct is ( strictly forbidden in scripture ; and it also ap- 
peared evident to them, that his intention was to sink the pastor of 
the church in their esteem, &c. and ingratiate himself into their favour. 
This, indeed, he effected, with respect to a few, and no sooner was he 
set aside from the church, than he went around to a number of the 
members, and got, we believe, about two or three males, and fifteen or 
sixteen females to say, that they fellowshiped him still. The names of 
those persons he had attached to a sort of recommendation for himself 
— as many as five or six, however, of this number, have since ac- 
knowledged that they did not realize what they were about when they 
signed the paper. 

Although Mr. Greene had been ordained as a preacher of the gos- 
pel, and had been received into fcllovvship by the Free Will Baptist, 
connexion as such, yet he maintained nothing more than a private ca- 



9 

parity, (as it respected his membership,) in the church. This he 
again and again acknowledged, and in this respect the church dealt 
with him, only setting him aside from their fellowship as it respected 
his individual membership, leaving his ministerial functions to be at- 
tended to by the connexion of preachers who had ordained him ; and 
out of respect to them, they sent an account of their proceedings, with 
what information they thought it their duty to communicate, concern- 
ing Mr. Greene's conduct. 

Mr. Greene, in order to maintain his course, presented the before- 
mentioned recommendation, and it appears that the connexion retained 
him as a preacher. 

The church considered that, as Mr. Greene had been set aside, the 
members who thus recommended him afterwards, exposed themselves, 
by so doing, to be dealt with in the same manner : this is clear and 
plain. They could not, consistently, do less than set them aside, for, 
they had evidently arisen in opposition to the church, by recommend- 
ing a man that the majority had disowned. 

Now, the plain statement of the case is, Mr. Greene contends that 
the members who were thus set aside from the church, (with a few- 
more that have since joined them,) compose the body to whom the 
house belongs. In the name of common sense we ask him to shew 
how this is to be made out ? 

It has, indeed, been represented, (and we are sensible that the 
minds of many of the publick have become prejudiced in conse- 
quence,) that the church has altered its constitution, or rather alter- 
ed from the principles upon which it was established. This we ut- 
terly deny, we challenge him to prove it — we call upon him, or any 
man or set of men on earth, to shew any act of the church, since its 
establishment, wherein it has altered its constitution or principles. Mr. 
Greene and his adherents have reported, that the church has declared 
itself independent. We ask how that can be when it always was so* 
What is most surprising is, that he founds this argument on expres- 
sions, contained in the letter, which the church sent to the Free Wil! 
Baptist quarterly meeting, giving information concerning Mr. Greene's 
walk, and the dealings of the church with him, &c. The letter com- 
mences thus : — 

'* The church of Christ, assembled, in the village of Pawtucket, 
on the Seekonkside, (commonly called the Free Will Baptist Church,') 
to the brethren assembled in quarterly meeting : Grace and peace be 
multiplied unto you, and to all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sin~ 
cerity and truth 

" Beloved Brethren, 

Though we stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made 
us free, as an independent church, not accountable to any assembly 
of men whatever, nor subject to the authority which any such assem- 
bly may assume," &c. 

I beg the reader here to observe that these expressions have ref- 
erence to ecclesiastical affairs alone — affairs of church government, 
and not to civil government ; that is 3 the church did not mean by 



10 

these expressions that they were not subject to the civil laws, or gov- 
ernment of the country ; but merely to maintain the independence of 
the church, with a regard to its own authority, to govern its own 
concerns ; and thus there was an emphasis placed upon this, because 
pretensions were then made that the church was subject to the quar- 
terly meetings. 

Now is it not astonishing that any one should presume to say that 
the church, by this statement, have altered from the principles, upon 
which they were at first established. This story may do to tell 
those who never have heard or seen the records of the church, but 
the moment we meet it with the record, it overthrows it entirely ; 
and it is so plain that a very weak capacity may understand it. To 
make it so appear, we have transcribed one sentence from the re- 
cord — viz : — 

" Although this church has chosen for its pastor Elder Ray Pot- 
ter, who is considered a preacher in the Free Will Baptist connex- 
ion, yet it is understood that the church is contituted upon the princi- 
ple of having the privilege and the authority to order its own con- 
cerns, without being restricted or biassed by any other church or 
churches whatever." 

Now we ask where is the difference in sentiment between the re- 
cord and letter, and how it is to be made to appear, that the church, 
by this letter, altered from the establishment — surely it is miserable 
subterfuge to talk so. 

The fact is the church knew that they had the privilege to govern 
their own concerns, independent of any other church or churches, 
an 1 that ground they meant to maintain. The declaration is not, as 
has been shamefully misrepresented, a declaration that they had al- 
tered from what they were, but, a declaration of what they always 
were — for observe the phrase, " though we stand fast in the liberty 
wherewith Christ hath made us free, &c." 

It does not say, that, by that letter, they made themselves free, that 
they thereby declared themselves independent of some thing, or some 
body which they had previously been subject to. Nay, but that they 
stood fast in that liberty which they had ever enjoyed. This, we as- 
sert as a plain and undeniable fact, and that there cannot be a single 
syllable of substantial argument, adduced from this circumstance, to 
controvert it. 

Again, it has been represented as if there was something contained 
in some letters, which the pastor of this church, caused to be publish- 
ed in the Religious Informer, which shewed that this church was for- 
merlv under the authority, jurisdiction, or control of the Free Will 
B tpl ist quarterly meeting. But we ask where it is to be found ; we 
call for it to be brought forward. The pastor of this church has in- 
deed, written letters to the editor of the Religious Magazine, which 
have been published ; the first bearing date May 19, 1821 ; wherein 
he <i;ives an account of his first preaching in Pawtucket, and of the 
revival of religion, and that he had assisted in establishing a church 
there, consisting of between sixty and seventy members, and upon 



II 

what principles that church was established, we have already shewu 
—the records speak for themselves. 

He says, also, " we are now erecting a meetinghouse, and for whom 
that house was erecting, we have already shewn ; the deed will show 
for itself; the deed was to that church who were then erecting a meet- 
inghouse on said lot," &c. And we ask again what church that was ? 
what church was it that Mr. Greene and his adherents were then mem- 
bers ? and from whose fellowship and privilege they have since been 
set aside ? Any man, we presume, of good sense, who intends to walk 
by the scripture, can very readily answer these questions ; and there 
is no other alternative but to say, that it is the church of Christ, in 
Pawtucket, on Seekonk side, under the watch and care of Elder Ray 
Potter, commonly called Free Will Baptist. 

In this letter it is also observed, that a year ago, (that is from the 
time the letter was written,) there was no church here of this sect, 
which is so spoken against, &c. and only two or three brethren. Now 
we ask, if these two or three brethren refered to, were members of 
the Free Will Baptist connexion, before the church was established, 
and they became members of that ? If this had been the case, there 
would have been a little more colour of consistency to the inferences, 
which Mr. Greene and others have pretended to draw from this letter. 
But this was not the case ? the two or three brethren here referred to 
wer^, Deacon Buffington, his family, and Mr. Greene ; and it is posi- 
tively true, that not one of them were members of that connexion. 
But that Mr Greene had been a member of the Baptist church, in this 
place, and that Deacon Buffington and family, or those of them who 
professed religion were members of the church in Swanzey, where el- 
der Taylor now preaches, and from that church they brought letters 
to this church of their standing in society. These letters had a refer- 
ence, particularly, to their belief with regard to the doctrine of free 
salvation, &c. in contrariety to Calvinism, close communion, creeds, 
articles and confessions of faith. In the same letter it is mentioned that 
there are two or three meetinghouses which were about to be erect- 
ed in Burrillville, Smithiield and Glocester. Now why is it, that Mr. 
Greene, or some one else, from these remarks, does not lay claim to 
them, as the property of the Free Will Baptist connexion ; two of 
them have been built, one in Chepatchet, and one near the Smith- 
fied Academy ; but are they the exclusive property of any quarterly 
meeting or yearly meeting ? they are not ; different denominations 
have an equal right in both of them. 

Again, Elder John Buzzell is a preacher of high repute in the Free 
Will Baptist Connexion ; he holds the first rank r for solidity, piety, 
and veracity in the denomination. He has written two volumes of 
Magazines, giving a historical account of the connexion. In hifc sec- 
ond number, vol. 2, he gives an account of his visit to Rhode-Island 
in September, 1820. 

After mentioning several circumstances, with respect to attending 
meetings in different places, he at length observes, (p. 42.) " I also 
attended a communion with the church in Providence., and enjoyed 



12 

much divine consolation with them. I also enjoyed several inter- 
views with the publick preachers, which was very edifying, particu- 
larly at elder Potter's, and elder Henry Tatem's. Elder Tatem is 
pastor of the church in Cranston, and in the course of the revival has 
baptized above 130 persons. Now we as'* any candid man to look at 
that statement, and to answer if it would not be just as consistent for 
any one to say from it, that the church in Providence, and the church 
in Cranston under the pastoral care of elder Tatem, were attached to 
the Free Will Baptist connexion, and that the meetinghouses impro- 
ved by them are their property ! But this we know is not the case, 
and elder Buzzel Knew it at the time ; and yet one supposition from 
one letter or account is just as consistent as the other ; the fact is that 
all that has been said, from the circumstance of these letters, is just 
nothing at all in point. It is not barely our assertion, but it is plain 
reason and truth, as we have sufficiently shewn. 

We ask Mr. Greene, or any one else to show any act of this church 
directly or indirectly since its establishment, wherein they have devia- 
ted from the principles of their constitution. Until he can do that, 
let him not presume to strip them of their lawful right and property. 

Again, we are told something about this church requesting the quar- 
terly meeting to assist in ordaining Mr. Greene ; that they thereby 
shewed that they were attached to them, or under their authority. 
This argument scarcely deserves notice ; but, so little are many peo- 
ple informed with respect to such affairs, it is indeed possible that 
their minds may be prejudiced even by this, as weak as it is. 

We would ask if a neighbour who owns a good farm in Seekonk, 
should ask another neighbour to assist him a day, with his own labour, 
or his workmen, or his team, that he thereby must loose his farm, or 
would his family, workmen and property be considered , in consequence 
of this request, his neighbour's property ? 

It is a positive fact that the present pastor of this church was, when 
he was ordained a member of the church in Cranston, under the pas- 
toral care of elder Tatem; that when he was ordained, ministers 
of different denominations were 'requested to attend. That elder 
Toby made the introductory prayer, and Dr. Gano preached the ser- 
mon, who were association Baptists. That elder Dudley Petengale, 
and Jonathan Woodman, officiated with elder Tatem, in the imposition 
of hands, who were Free Will Baptists ; — and now we ask, according 
to this hypothesis, who must have the church in Cranston, with their 
property ? 

The fact is he was ordained, and yet considered a member of the 
church in Cranston, and had a certificate of his ordination from those 
who officiated in the imposition of hands, and he remained so until he 
received the right hand of fellowship from elder John Buzzel, in be- 
half of the Free Will Baptist connexion, and so became a member of 
said connexion, which his credentials will now plainly shew. 

We would ask Mr. Greene, if he himself did not lately assist and of- 
ficiate in the ordination of Mr. Wanton Allen, a member of the Calvin- 
ist Baptist church, in North Kingston, under the pastoral care of eldcv 



13 

Northup? certainly he did, which no doubt he is willing to ac- 
knowledge, if not, we are ready to prove it. And we would as c, if 
he, on this account, calculates to claim that church as one in the Free 
Will Baptist connexion, and take their meetinghouse and property by 
the great ? If so, we are inclined to think, his help, by them, would 
be considered dearly bought indeed. And we thini also, if he should 
undertake it, he would find as much trouble as he does in crying to 
get the lawful property from the church in Pawtuc'Aet. 

We are also told that the pastor of this church has changed his sen- 
timents and preaches a different doctrine from what he formerly did. 
And supposing that he has, we ask if he has gone out of the bible for 
it ; if not, let Mr. Greene show us wherein he has deviated from the 
constitution of the church ; we confine him to the point to give an 
answer, for the record expressly s-<ys : 

" The following persons joined hands, thereby manifesting that 
they united themselves together as a church of God, taking the 
scriptures of truth, as their only book of discipline, and ruleof faiihand 
practice.'''' 

So, also, say the Free Will Baptist connexion, this was the ground 
which they have ever stood on — ta ing the bible done, and renoun- 
cing all human inventions of creeds, articles of f -ith, Lc. for a proof of 
which, we refer the candid to their history, written by elder Buzzel, 
particularly, Vol. ii. No. 1, p. 5. 

Let Mr. Greene, therefore prove, that the pastor of this church 
preaches unscriptural doctrine, or cease talking of this charge, or 
claiming the property of this church, upon this ground. 

But observe, we have only admitted the foregoing as a supposition, 
to show, that if it were really so, it would amount to nothing in point. 
The fact is not as Mr. Greene and his adherents have represented, 
that the pastor of this church has altered his sentiments since this 
house was erected ; he preached the doctrine of sanctification, (which 
is meant by alteration) before ever this house was touched, and Mr. 
Greene must 1 now it, he preached it and talked it in Providence two 
years ago, before he moved his family into this place, which we are 
able to prove by many witnesses. He is ready to affirm that he told 
deacon Buffington and wife, at their breakfast table that he believed 
it, more than two years ago ; and what is still more, he, about one 
year ago, preached a sermon upon the subject, as fully and as ex- 
plicitly as he could ; and Mr. Greene after he had finished, arose and 
said Amen to it, and approbated it before a house full, or congregation 
of perhaps two or three hundred people ; and now since he has been 
set aside from the church, to mat e such a plea as this in order to get 
this church's property is truly astonishing. The above is not merely 
our say so, we stand ready to prove by substantial witnesses, the facts 
stated. 

But again, we suppose for the sake of further light on the subject, 
that it really is the case, that the pastor of this church has changed his 
sentiments forty times since the establishment, we as": if that changes 
the whole church ? Where is the authority of the church ? does it lie 



14 

in one man ? does not every man of common sense know better. — 
The pastor of the church, as it respects his membership, has but 
one vote, and no more, and although he were to alter, he is but one. 

And again, suppose that he had ever said that this church was un- 
der the authority or control of the Free Will Baptist connexion, we 
ask men of good sense if that would have made it so ? Suppose the 
governor of this state should say that we must be attached to 
the dominions, and be under the government of France or Spain, 
would that make it so, or must we not before that can be, look for 
some act of the church to that effect, or, with respect to the other, 
some act of the people of this state ? This is plain reasoning, intelli- 
gible and easy to be understood. 

Again, we suppose, for light upon the subject, that it were the case 
that this church is, and always was, a church in the Free Will Baptist 
connexion. We ask what is the order of that connexion ? In order 
to show, we transcribe from elder Buzzel's Magazine. — Vol. ii. No. 
1, p. 5. 

" They have unanimously agreed to take the holy scriptures to be 
their only rule of faith and practice and book of discipline. 

" They, therefore, confess no creed, nor acknowledge any article 
of faith, or book of discipline but the bible." 

And again, page 17th, 

" Each church has the exclusive right of doing their own business 
among themselves, and with the assistance of an ordained elder, of ad- 
mitting members, or withdrawing, or of admonishing, and even re- 
jecting them, if need require, agreeable to the rules of Christ and the 
apostles." 

Now we ask, what would Mr. Greene gain by establishing this hy- 
pothesis ? It appears that each church in the connexion has about 
the same privileges which we contend for ; they have the exclusive 
right of doing their own business among themselves ; they have the 
right to reject members, if need require, agreeable to the rules giv- 
en by Christ and his apostles. And the apostle commands that we 
withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly, and to have no 
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. The church were 
satisfied that Mr. Greene was a disorderly member ; they are ready 
to prove it ; they of course set him aside, and those who recommen- 
ded him afterwards, did it in direct opposition to the church, and ex- 
posed themselves to the same dealing. 

And we ask how this mode of arguing would better his case, or his 
claim to the house : If he argues that himself and these members are 
now a church in the Free Will Baptist connexion — we argue, that 
they are not the church which was first established in Pawtucket, un- 
to which the meetinghouse lot was deeded for Mr. Greene and his 
adherents were then members of that church, and have since been set 
aside from it, which they acknowledge, by their own written epistle.* 
So that, as before observed, if he and those with him are acknowl- 



* See letter from deacon Buffington, 



15 

edged a church by the Free Will Baptist connexion, it must be they 
are a church established since, this church unto which this lot was 
deeded ; and of course have no more claim or right to said lot or 
house, than the 2d Baptist Church in Providence have a right to the 
property of the first ; or the 2d Congregational church have a right 
to the property of the first. Nay, no more of a reasonable claim than 
another Masonic Lodge, if there should be another one established in 
Pawtucket, would have to the property, &c. of the one which is al- 
already in existence. 

But we have heard a rumour that this church has not authority to 
displace deacon Buffington from his official capacity in the church. 
But the reason why we have not learnt ; and, one thing we are quite 
confident of, that there can beaone thit are substantially given. It 
is one thing to tell a story, and another to prove it true. If it be ar- 
gued that the church has not power to do it, because he is an ordain- 
ed man, we ask what is meant by the phrase to ordain ? and we are 
sensible that every person who knows any thing about language is 
qualified to answer readily — it is the same as to appoint. We appeal 
to any man of learning, and to the most profound in erudition, if to 
ordain, and to appoint are not synonimous. Mr. Brown a most learn- 
ed divine and scholar, in his Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 2. p. 245, 
upon the word ordain, says, it is the same as to appoint. We unfold 
this subject thus that the case may stand in a clear light. 

And now we ask who appointed deacon Buffington, to act or offi- 
ciate in that office in this church ? we reiterate again who appointed 
him to act in that station, in the church of Christ, in Pawtucket, on 
Seekonk side, constituted October 7th, 1820, commonly called the 
Free Will Baptist church ? We answer by an extract from the rec- 
ord. 

" After the aforementioned brethren and sisters had united as a 
church, they unanimously admitted Elder Ray Potter as one of their 
members, and likewise as an under shepherd, to take the watch and 
care of the church. It was also agreed that deacon Gardner BuMno-- 
ion should officiate in said office, in the church." 

It plainly appears that the church appointed him to act in this offi- 
cial capacity ; and we ask, if the church has not the same authority 
to displace fis they have to appoint ? We ask Mr. Greene, or deacon 
Buffington, or any one else to shew any thing to the contrary ; let 
them shew, if they can, that any other churches, any quarterly meet- 
ings, or yearly meetings, any association or synod, or any authority 
whatever, exclusive of this church, ever appointed deacon Buffing- 
ton to act in that official capacity in this church. 

Let it be remembered, that when we are talking about this church 
we are not talking about the old Cambridge Platform, or the West- 
minster Catechism and confession of faith. We are not talking of 
John Calvin's creed, nor James Arminus' creed ; neither are we 
talking of the church of England or Scotland ; the Episcopalian nor 
the Presbyterian church ; but, we are talking about a church which 
according to the constitution of the country and of the state, have., al- 



16 

though small, as good a right as either of the above to enjoy their own 
religious privilege, provided they do not disturb the peace. And 
thit this church appointed a man to officiate in the office of deacon in 
the church, and that they have seen lit to displace him, and appoint 
a successor or successors. 

If it be argued that deacon Buffington was a deacon in another church 
before he officiated in this, we ask what have we to do with that. It 
has nothing to do with the case, no more than if a man after he had 
once been governor of Connecticut should remove into Massachusetts 
and be elected a governor there, and should finally claim to be gover- 
nor of Massachusetts forever, whether the people would have him or 
not, because he was once governor of Connecticut. Deacon Buffing- 
ton, we do not pretend to deny, was once a deacon in another church : 
but what church ? a church in Swanzey that was called Six Principle 
Baptists, and it is also well known that deacon Buffington before he 
became a member of this church, dissented from the principles of 
the Six Principle Baptists ; for they were extremely tenacious for the 
close communion idea, the ordinance of hands, &c. whereas he em- 
braced the open communion plan. If this church, in the v appoint- 
ment of their deacon had called for any body else to help them, then 
there would seem to be rather more consistency, in saying or thinking 
they must call for somebody else to assist them to displace him — but 
let it be remembered this was not the case — but that they appointed 
him themselves. 

And happily for them that the government of their state and nation, 
gives them this privilege, as well as any other religious church, 
churches, or people, and let those who undert dte to bar them from 
this privilege, remember that they wage war with reason, scripture, 
and the mild laws of this state and the constitution of the United States. 
It is also in vain to talk that we are unable to prove deacon Buffington 
immoral. That is not at all in point, for suppose it were the case that 
the deacon of this church was found after appointment incompetent for 
the office — incapable of discharging the duty which the church should 
expect from a deacon, we ask if the church have not aright to dis- 
place him, and appoint a successor ? But the ground upon which 
deacon Buffington was displaced, we have already shewn. 

With a respect also, to the form, ceremony, &c. in choosing or ap- 
pointing officers in churches, it is well known by every man of un- 
derstanding, that every church or denomination of people, have, by 
the laws of our land a right to enjoy and exercise their opinion ; from 
hence it is probable that there may be different forms and ceremo- 
nies among different denominations, as it is with a respect to the or- 
dinance of baptism, and from hence some might imagine that a dea- 
con cannot be appointed but by attending to some ceremony like the 
imposition of hands, &c. But the subject, we think, has been clearly 
enough illustrated, that to ordain is to appoint, and that this church 
appointed their deacon by the voice of the church, and by the voice 
of the church displaced him. And that this manner of appointing dea- 
cons is not peculiar to ourselves neither, but that it is the practice of 



17 

Calvinistick Baptist churches which we are able to shew. But, we 
ask if this church has not the authority to displace deacon Buffington, 
who have the authority to do it ? we call for an answer. Will the 
Episcopal church do it ? they never appointed him. Will the Pres- 
byterians do it ? they never appointed him. Will the Association 
Baptists do it ? they never appointed him. Will the Free Will Bap- 
tist connexion do it ? they did not appoint him. Indeed he was ap- 
pointed to the office of deacon in this church before he ever saw or 
was in a Free Will Baptist quarterly meeting. Will the civil author- 
ity do it ? they never appointed him, neither will the constitution of 
the country permit them to usurp authorhy in church affairs ; and, in 
the name of common sense we ask, who will or can do this business ? 
If this church cannot do it he may turn the house into private prop- 
erty^ ; he may convert it into a dwellinghouse, a tavern, a stable, or a 
barn, and none can let nor hinder. All flesh may as well as not remain 
mute, and see and behold the catastrophe, but utterly unable to rem- 
edy it. 

If deacon Buffington has got any appointment from the Free Will 
Baptist quarterly meeting as deacon, he has received it since the es- 
tablishment of this church, and since his appointment to that office in 
this church, and of course it cannot be here : it must be somewhere 
else, with which we have no concern. If it is in another church since 
established and under the care of elder Allen, we hope they will at- 
tend to their own concerns, and if they want a meetinghouse, try fb 
build one, or get one in an honourable way, but not presume to claim 
ours. 

We know of nothing else that Mr. Greene has ever pretended to 
argue in defence of his claim to this house ; but as it appears from ex- 
amining the foregoing, and discovering their solidity, that he must have 
been amazingly hard run for argument, or he never would have laid 
hold on such cobwebs ; so we know not but he might make use of oth- 
ers of no more weight, which might serve possibly to confuse the 
mind. But we know not of any without he should presume to say 
that a church cannot be called a Free Will Baptist church, without it 
is attached to that particular connexion of which we have been spea- 
king. If he should, we are ready to shew plainly to the contrary ; 
that the appellation of Free Will, or Free Will Baptists, is not confi- 
ned to that connexion, but that it is applied to many other churches 
and individuals ; and that it is a phrase generally understood in con- 
trariety to Calvinism, and is frequently applied to Baptists who deny 
Calvin's ideas of particular unconditional election, reprobation, &c. 
And, anj r one might just as well argue that there cannot be a Calvinis= 
tick Baptist church without belonging to the Association, as to argue 
that there cannot be a Free Will Baptist church, without belonging 
to the quarterly meeting, or being under their authority or control ; 
which is most absurd to talk of ? And to conclude we make the 
following statement, agreeable to evidence adduced : 

That on the evening of the 7th of October, 1820, there was a 
church constituted in Pawtucket, on Seekonk side, commonly called 
3 



18 

Free Will Bnptist, under the watch and care of elder Ray Potter., 
agreeable to record : that unto that church was the lot of land deed- 
ed, on which the meetinghouse now stands, near the brick school- 
house ; on the 17th of September, 1021, as the deed will clearly 
shew : That at that time there was no other church in Pawtucket or 
Seekonk called Free Will Baptist ; but that Mr. Greene, deacon 
Buihngton, &c. were then members of that church as the records will 
plainly shew: that they have since been sot aside by the authority 
of the church as the records plainly show, and also their own confes- 
sion by letter ; and, that the church have appointed two deacons 
since, as the successors of deacon Buffington, viz : Andrew Kitchen 
and Samuel Armistead, as the records shew, and consequently expect,; 
and confidently believe that there is no principle in reason, justice, 
equity, or the lav/ of this state, that will say that they ought not to 
have, or must not have their lawful property, or that they must have 
it torn from them, or kept from them, by those unto whom it does not 
belong. 

After this Mr. Greene's Attorney proceeded to adduce his argu- 
ments in favour of his client. I should have been glad to give them 
word for word, as he delivered them, but cannot. 1 have since re- 
quested him to write them, but he declined for some reason or other. 
The substance, however of his plea, I am not at all at a loss to com- 
municate, and which I believe those that heard are ready to bear wit- 
ness. 

His principal business was to find out who was the deacon of the 
Free Will Baptist church in Seekonk ; this he was well aware would 
decide the business — for the deed run to the deacon or deacons. And 
in order to make it out that deacon Buffington was still the deacon, 
and that the deed did not run to the deacons which the church had 
since appointed as his successors : he argued that this single church 
could not legally displace a deacon ; he represented that the notion 
of a single church being independent to make and unmake deacons, as 
he termed it, would upset all order in ecclesiastical affairs, produce 
confusion, anarchy, &c. in regard to church government. This string 
he sounded upon with the utmost energ}', in the course of his intro- 
ductory remarks, and frequently told of something which he was coming 
to which seemedto be hinted as important, which finally appeared to 
be the consistency of the quarterly meeting setting up or putting up 
those whom as he termed it, elder Potter and his adherents had put 
down — and eventually produced a written resolution or something of 
the like, done by a committee appointed by the quarterly meeting, to 
inquire into the affairs of the Pawtucket church, mentioned in my 
letter to the quarterly meeting, (see p. ) the purport of which 
us near as I can recollect, is there inserted, "that they disap- 
proved of the proceedings of the church with Mr. Greene, and those 
who recommended him — that they recognized or considered them as 
the church in Pawtucket, in connexion with the quarterly meeting 
and deacon Buffington, as deacon in said church, and in some kind of 
language, which 1 cannot give word for word, declared that those, 



19 

(that is the true original church,) who had thus dealt with those mem- 
bers had gone oil', seceded or withdrawn from them !! ! O, shame 
where is thy blush ? was not this a noose fixed in the rope timely, by 
some body, and did it not with the help of a lawyer's smooth tongue, 
answer the purpose for which it appears to have been designed, viz : 
to haul in a meetinghouse into £he connexion. 

The foregoing was the substance of Mr. Greene's attorney's argu- 
ments ; as I before observed he made a wonderful handle of what he 
termed our notions of independence — argued, that there must be some 
head, &c. appealed to the chairman if it were not the case, that al- 
though the Episcopal church in Pawtucket had the privilege to gov- 
ern or order its own concerns, yet after all it was subject to such a 
diocess ! It will not be hard to imagine wiry he harped so much up- 
on this string, when it is considered that two of the referees were 
Episcopalians, and 'the other three were not members of any religious 
society. 

Mr. Greene's bill against the church was also presented, and laid 
before the referees. It amounted to between four and five hundred 
dollars ; there were many witnesses that came forward and testified 
that they had heard him say, after the meetinghouse was all completed 
that the church owed him about fifty dollars : that the meetinghouse 
was alLpaid for but about fifty dollars. 

Did Mr. Greene tell the truth when he stated before the church, 
and also before the wprld, that the meetinghouse was all paid for but 
about fifty dollars ? If so, did he present an honest account, when he 
laid before the referees, and of course demanded almost five hundred 
dollars of the church ? Did the elders' conference who made out 
that list of charges against me, discover this crooked work, even when 
I laid it before them in black and white ? Oh, no, Mr. Greene is a 
fine man, an holy man, but Ray Potter is a stiff necked, perverse, cen- 
sorious, revengeful, disorderly creature, irreconcileable, we can do 
nothing with him. May heaven keep me stiff enough, never to be 
bent into the shape of a semicircle, in order to accommodate myself 
to the feelings of rich hypocritical professors of religion. 

Here follows the report of the referees : 

" We, the subscribers, appointed as referees, in a case of the Free 
Will Baptist Society, in the village of Pawtucket, on the Seekonk 
side, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, met agreeable to ap- 
pointment, at the Free AVill Baptist meetinghouse, in said Seekonk, 
on the ^d day of January, 1823 ; and, after hearing the several picas 
and allegations in said case, agreed to adjourn, to meet at the house of 
John Baldwin, on the evening of the third of said January, 1623, and 
having met agreeable to said appointment, and after mature conside- 
ration in said case, do make our report in manner following, viz : 

" That we consider that the Free Will Baptist meetinghouse and. 
lot is the property of the Free Will Baptist church in Pawtucket, on 
the Seekonk side, that is, in connexion with the quarterly meeting of 
that denomination ; and that Gardner Bufrmgton is recognized as dea- 
con of said church; and thai no person can legally officiate as deacon in 



20 

.said church, unless such person is ordained or recognized as such, b$ 
said quarterly meeting, of the denomination of Free Will Baptist. 

" We also find a balance due from the Free Will Baptist church in 
said Pawtucket, on the Seekonk side, to the Rev. Daniel Greene, of 
three hundred and twelve dollars and fifteen cents.* 

'• T hatdeacon Buffington pay the $10 to referees". 

" Given under our hands and seals this 3d day of January, 1823. 

CALEB DROWN, 
PARDON SAYLES, 
BARNEY MERRY, 
DAVID JENCKES, 
JOHN BALDWIN." 

I have been accused (see p. 21) of manifesting dissatisfaction con- 
cerning the judgment of these referees : Has any man ever heard me 
say that I thought they did not do that which they thought to be right? 
but is it not possible for men who intend to do right to err in judge- 
ment ? I think so. Now it appears evident that this principle or idea 
had a prevailing influence on the minds of those gentlemen who sat 
on this case : that a single church like ours, independent of any con- 
nexion, combination, or quarterly meeting of churches, has no power 
or authority to appoint or displace a deacon. It is clear and evident 
that this was the point upon which the business turned, as the report 
plainly shews. Mark this clause : 

" And that no person can legally officiate as deacon in said church 
unless said person is ordained or recognized as such, by said quarter- 
ly meeting of said denomination of Free Will Baptist." 

Now I ask the candid to observe what follows : The deed of this 
meetinghouse was signed, sealed and delivered in September, 1821; 
deacon Buffington had at that time, as 1 have before stated, no ap- 
pointment as deacon in this church, but that which he received from 
the church, he never was in a quarterly meeting until months after 
this circumstance, I think in January, when the quarterly meeting was 
at the Belknap meetinghouse in Johnston. He never had been ap- 
pointed, ordained > or recognized as deacon of said church by any quar- 
terly meeting. I ask any man to show me that he was ? I hear no 
one say that he was. Now tell me if deacon Buffington when this 
deed was given, was legally officiating as deacon in said church ? if so 
who placed him in that official capacity ? If he was not legally offici- 
ating at that time, as deacon in said church, how come Mr. Greene to 
have a deed written to a man that could not lawfully hold the proper- 
ty of the church ? and how came 'squire Cushman, who is an attorney 
and counsellor at law, and who wrote said deed, to say that the donors 
or sellers of said lot conveyed it to the deacons of said church, when 
in reality there was no deacon there ? ! ! ! But if it were the case 
that there was at that time a deacon legally officiating in said church, 
unto whom a deed could be given which certainly Mr. Cushman and 



* It appears that the referees docked down Mr. Greene's bill about 
one hundred and fifty dollars. Query, what does that mean ? 



21 

Mr. Greene must acknowledge they conceived to be the case or else 
they wrote a deed to some bod}^ that the} r knew did not exist in that 
official capacity ; then it follows upon every principle of reason that 
the very same authority which placed him there in that official ca- 
pacity, could likewise displace him and appoint a successor ; and that 
was the church and the church alone, and we challenge a contrariety 
to be shown. 

Even admitting that this church was in the connexion of a quarterly 
meeting, yet they had no mora authority to replace said deacon, in 
said official capacity, contrary to the voice of the majority of this 
church, than the United States have a constitutional right or author- 
ity to appoint a governor over this state, without the consent of its in- 
habitants. This is plain truth. 

But I am not alone with regard to my ideas upon church govern- 
ment. Mr. Benedict in his history of the Baptists, vol. i. p. 8, has the 
following remarks : 

" Mr. Robinson has shown that the apostles and primitive preachers 
gathered churches in between sixty and seventy different cities, towns 
and provinces, and in many instances a number were gathered in 
each. These churches were all composed of reputed believers, who 
had been baptized by immersion on the profession of their faith. — 
Their bishops and elders were merely overseers of their spiritual 
flocks ; they claimed no right to lord it over God's heritage ; every 
church was an independent body, and no one claimed a right to regu- 
late the affairs of another. If they met in council, as they did at Je- 
rusalem, it was to advise, not to give law." 

Copy of a Letter from Ray Potter to the Conference. 

" Pawtccket, Jan. 6, 1823. 

" To the brethren assembled in quarterly meeting at Smithfield, 
Rhode-Island, on the 3d Saturday and Sabbath of January, 1823, com- 
monly called Free Will Baptists : 

s ' Beloved brethren, 

" On the 13th of September, 1820, I received the right hand of 
fellowship from elder John Buzzell, in behalf of the Free Will Bap- 
tist connexion, and thereby became a member. I was conscientious 
and sincere in this undertaking, which I can call heaven to witness ; and 
I am as conscientious and sincere in sending you this communication, by 
^vhich I wish you to understand, that I withdraw myself from my par- 
ticular standing in said connexion. 

" I do not withdraw my christian fellowship, from all those arnono- 
them who are truly christians, nay I love them as well as ever I did. 
But I cannot consistently, stand in fellowship with them in general. 

" My reasons for this I am ready to give ; the limits of this letter, 
however, will not permit me to be so particular, as might be desira- 
ble. 

" In doing this I would also observe, that, I do not wish to brine a 
railing accusation against any one ; and do not do it with a hard spir- 
it, but with the fear of God, as I humbly trust, before my eyes and ia 
my heart, 



22 

" When I first became acquainted with this connexion of people, 
was about the time the church in Cranston, renounced the close com- 
munion restriction, of the Six Principle Baptists. The trials, oppo- 
sition, persecution, slander, and reproach which that church has ex- 
perienced, in contending for the liberty which the gospel gives to ev- 
ery church, and christian is indescribable. The Free Will Baptist, 
preachers then were as ready as any ones, to condemn the conduct 
of the Six Principle Baptists, towards the Cranston church, as un- 
scnptural, unchristian and the like. 

" Notwithstanding almost the whole church was unanimous, 
saving three or four males, and six or eight females, yet a coun- 
cil of preachers came immediately into the heart of the church, 
at the instigation of one man, pronounced the main body of the church 
disorderly, &c. and that these who held on to the old plan, (or what I 
call the horns of the beast.) were orthodox, and sound, had not 
de tiled their garments. 

" Buc notwithstanding I had seen this conduct, yet I thought I could 
not live as I ought to live, or rather could not be beneficial as a prea- 
cher, without joining some connexion of people. And as the Free Will 
Baptists professed to be a free people — to walk by the scriptures, 
and I thought I could enjoy myself with them. The preachers whom I 
first was acquainted with, appeared to be men devoted to God, and I 
really believe they were, and when I joined them I thought I had got 
a home for ever. But I had not yet got, but as it were, a side glance 
at denomination, selfishness, or sectarian bigotry. My friends, how r - 
ever, many' of them, when finding out that I had a notion of joining 
this connexion, advised me to bew T are, lest I found myself in as bad a 
condition as that which I had just been extricated from. I told the 
preachers their fears, they told me there could be no danger, as the 
Free Will brethren professed to walk by the scriptures. 1 talked 
again, and again, upon the subject, of each church being free to gov- 
ern its own concerns ; that every church, ought to have this privi- 
lege, and not to be used as the Cranston church had been used. I 
conversed upon it with elders Woodman, and Pettingale, two of the 
first preachers that I ever saw of the connexion. The last time, that 
I ever saw brother Woodman, I conversed with him upon it, at dea- 
con Hawkins', in Providence, after we hadretirea to bed. 

" I have no doubt but what it was in consequence of our being so 
fearful, and particular with a respect to this point, that elder Buzzel, 
in the first number of his religious magazine, vol. 2. published in the 
summer of 1820, when giving an account of the order of the Free 
W T ill Baptist connexion, observed, (p. 17.) 

" Each church, has the exclusive right of doing their own business, 
among themselves, and with the assistance of an ordained elder, of ad- 
mitting members, or withdrawing, or of admonishing, or even reject- 
ing them, if need require, agreeable to the rules given by Christ and the 
apostles. 9 ^ 

" And it was because, I meant never to give up the principle, that 
every church ought to have the privilege, to manage and govern its 



own concerns, independent of other churches, that Iiabouredso ar- 
duously as I did, to have the church in Pawtucket constituted upon 
the principles which it was, and which is so clearly inserted in the 
records thereof, viz : 

" Although this church has chosen for its pastor elder Ray Potter, 
who is a preacher in the Free Will Baptist connexion, yet, it is un- 
derstood that the church, is constituted upon the principle, of having 
the privilege and authority, to order its own concerns, without being 
restricted, or biassed, by any other church or churches whatever." 

" Daniel Greene, and deacon Buffingtcn were well acquainted with 
these things, at the time I talked freely and unreservedly to them up- 
on the subject. Heaven is my witness that this is positively true. — ■ 
I conversed much upon the subject in deacon Buffington's house, and 
one evening in particular in the presence of elder Tatem. I would 
ask them if they do not remember it well ? I told them all plainly, 
that I would not have any thing to do, in establishing a church in PaAV- 
tucket, if it were not upon those principles. They both heartily 
agreed with me — they united themselves together in church capacity 
under these considerations, and thus agreed to walk, and thus to be 
governed. 

" The church was established, and all things seemed to go on well; 
I laboured, and I brought into action, every power and faculty of body 
and mind, for its welfare, connected with the glory of God, and salva- 
tion of souls. Mr. Greene professed to be my most sincere friend. 

" The first winter that I preached in the place I taught a school of 
about 100 scholars, besides preaching on sabbath, three times, and 
attending meetings almost every evening in the week. At length I 
sunk, under the weight of infirmity ; my emaciated body and limbs, 
would no longer sustain me, in the discharge of the duties which I had 
hitherto been accustomed to, and in which my soul delighted. At this 
time when sick, and distressed, poor and afflicted, in the dead of win- 
ter, this man who had professed the greatest friendship to me, when 
in health and prosperity, proved what I should call a secret enemy. — 
The church seemed to be in confusion, and it often seemed as if the 
burden which inconsequence pressed me down like a cart loaded with 
sheaves, would soon carry me to the grave. 

" In this hour of distress, I cried unto the Lord for deliverance. But 
who can imagine my surprise, when I began to be informed, that not- 
withstanding all of the professed friendship of Mr. Greene, towards me, 
he was trying to destroy me*, and build himself up on my ruin. I disbe- 
lieved it, until undeniable evidence compelled me to admit it as a fact 
—that he was very busy with the church, endeavouring to sink me 
m their esteem, and to ingratiate himself in their favour. And I now 
ask who can know any better about this business than those very per- 
sons with whom he thus laboured ? 

" It seems as if he was permitted thus to go on, until he had sufficient- 
ly committed himself unto the church, that they might know his true 

* I do not mean by this that he meant to destroy my life, but my 
reputation, my standing as pastor of the church, &c. 



21 

character, and then heaven interposed. The church exposed and 
disapprobated his conduct. But, what now! no sooner did they un- 
dertake this, than he began to talk of a higher power which he was 
about to appeal to, viz : the quarterly meeting. No sooner was he 
dealt with by the church, than he, with a recommendation, him- 
self goes around to some who, notwithstanding the dealings of 
the church, he got to say, they fellowshiped him still. The whole 
number, I believe, amounted to about sixteen or seventeen, four or 
five of them, have since testilied that when they did this, they under- 
stood not the consequences, nor the nature of the thing. They were 
all females but two or three, and almost the whole of them, employ- 
ed by Mr. Greene, or hired in his tenements. With this recommen- 
dation he went to the quarterly meeting. I am well aware of his art 
upon the subject, with respect to prejudicing the minds of the qu-.ir- 
terly meeting, and every Free Will Baptist preacher who came near. 
That myself and the church had all got to be Methodists, [and sup- 
pose we had, must we have been killed for it ?] that we were getting 
into enthusiasm, &c. — that he was a Free Will Baptist still, and that 
we persecuted him because he did not believe just as we did, &c. 
I saw his manner and heard his conversation when^the committee set 
upon the subject, at Smithfield, in the chamber. Brethren, I remain 
a Free Will Baptist — brethren, I am a Free Will Baptist still, was 
the kind of language with which he abounded. 

And wha: does the quarterly meeting do ? They 'approbate him 
still, as a preacher of the gospel — they send him forth with their 
sanction entirety. And what do they do further ?they appoint a com- 
mittee of four or five, two of whom were preachers, to comedown 
into Pawtucket to examine into the affairs of the Pawtucket church. 

" As the church had disapprobated Mr. Greene, and set him aside 
from their fellowship, and some of the members had reccommended 
him afterward, and that recommendation had been b}' him carried to 
the Quarterly meeting in his favour, they considered, these members 
as rising up in direct opposition to the church, and thereby exposing 
themselves to be dealt with in the same manner* 

" But what does this committee do ? — I never knew what they did, 
although the proceedings were transacted months ago, until a few days 
past — when I heard their resolutions read for the accomplishment of 
the end for which it clearly looks to me they were designed, viz : the 
obtaining of the meetinghouse in this place, which is the clearly deed- 
ed property of this church. I am not able to give their resolutions 
verbatim as I never heard them read but once. But the substance of it 
was that they disapproved of the proceedings of the church with a 
respect to their dealing with Mr. Greene, and those who recommen- 
ded him, that they recognized " them as the church in Pawtucket, in 
connexion with the quarterly meeting, and deacon Bumngton as a 
deacon in said church : anJ in some kind of language or other which 
I cannot give word for word, declared that those, that is the true ori- 
ginal church, who had thus dealt with those members — had gone off\ 



25 

seceded or withdrawn from them." I call heaven and earth to wit- 
ness that I testify against such proceedings. 

" I call upon the quarterly meeting to show how their proceedings 
in appointing that committee, to come into Pawtucket, into the heart 
of this church, and making the pretensions which they have, can be 
reconciled with that account which has been given to the world, of 
the order of the Free Will Baptist connexion, by elder Buzzell, which 
I have previously mentioned. I call upon them to shew me where- 
in they have differed from the proceedings of those whose conduct 
they have hitherto condemned and reproved with acrimony. I call 
upon the quarterly meeting, and that committee which came down into 
Pawtucket, and left a written memorial of their proceedings to shew 
me if they can, wherein this church have gone off from their first ori- 
ginal establishment and constitution. This i demand to be plainly and 
clearly shewn, and until this is done my testimony against their pro- 
ceedings shall stand. 

" It is well known that by the laws of this state, that if even the 
majority of a church do leave or secede from their original principles, 
platform or constitution, that the remaining party will hold the prop- 
erty. 

• " This Mr. Greene well knew, and if that committee formed that 
instrument of writing which they left in P^vtucket, through his insti- 
gation, in order to answer that end without any just ground, without 
shewing wherein the church had jvHered, gone off, or seceded from 
their original standing. I say, if they have done this, let them pre- 
pare to give an account. 

" My brethren, it is not the value of a meetinghouse which bears 
with ponderous weight upon my mind, when writing and reflecting up- 
on this subject ; but it is because justice and equity seem to have been 
forgotten. 

" Whether you will hear or not, my feeble voice shall be lifted 
against it. You have hitherto seemed deaf to all that I could say to 
you upon the subject : has it been because you imagined that I was 
about to leave your connexion and join another? Should this (if it 
were so,) shut up your ears and eyes to truth ? Should this induce 
you to countenance the proceedings ' of any one in iniquity, even in 
tearing property from the lawful owners ? You have been apparent- 
ly deaf to the facts, that Mr. Greene has dealt treacherously with me 
as I have stated above. 

. " Before I close arid bid you farewell, I call your attention to more 
of his conduct. 

" When subscriptions were first solicited from the publick in this 
place, to erect a meetinghouse for the church, Mr. Greene frequently 
addressed the publick thus : that he was willing to become a beggar, 
for the upbuilding of the cause of God — that all his exertions were 
freely done, and cheerfully done. This kind of conversation the 
publick have witnessed again and again — that brother Potter was 
wearing out his life preaching in the schoolhouse, and that the peo- 
ple were crowded, &c. and that he was anxious to get a house built 
4 



26 

•for their accommodation, he again and again told the church that he 
would do all that he did in getting subscriptions, contracting for mate- 
rials for nothing, without asking or expecting pay. And now observe 
after all of this, when the affair of this meetinghouse, abd the set- 
tlement of Mr. Greene's accounts was the other day left to men, he 
©resented a bill of about one hundred and fifty dollars, for this which 
he promised to do for nothing. 

" Again, after the meetinghouse was completed, he testified in pub- 
lick and in private, before Emmy witnesses, not only members of the 
church, but also people of the World, that it was all paid for hut about 
fifty ddilars, and yet when he gave in his account he brought in be- 
tween ibur and five hundred dollars, that the church was in hi* 
t! ! ! ' 

" These are ficts which, if the people of Smithfield are not well 
acquainted with, maty ofthe inhabitants of Pawtud et and its vicinity 
are. I leave them before you in legible characters ; you cannot help 
seeing them without you close your eyes entirely. If, therefore, in 
future, you suner in consequence of countenancing them, remem- 
ber I have told you of them before hand. 

" And I would ask you how it is possible for me knowing these cir- 
cumstances tostandin the connexion, if they persist in the course which 
they have hitherto followed. It is impossible to describe what i 
have suffered already in mind and body ; enormous reports have, 
been circulated with regard to the doctrine which I preach, which 
you well know ; and even that I presume to do that which it would 
be abominably blasphemous andwickedto pretend to do, viz : to sanc- 
tify people — than which, no greater lie, need ever be told. I am 
well aware who are the principal authors of such like reports. I en- 
deavour when I preach to discharge my duty, to declare the whole 
counsel of God, and do not hesitate to declare that, without holiness 
no man shall see the Lord — the necessity of forsaking all for Christ's 
sake, and being christians, in word, deed and practice, as well as by 
profession. This indeed, is too close for many — but I cannot help 
that ; God has marked out the way to glory, and I cannot, nor wish 
not to alter it. 

" If you ridicule me or approbate those who have done it, and still 
do it because I preach the truth as it is in Jesus, you have not anoth-. 
er to settle your account with and not me. 

" I yet feel determined to maintain the conflict which I humbly 
trust God has called me into. I know that I am poor and obscure, 
and I know not what 1 may expose myself to, by opposing the iniqui- 
ty ofthe rich ; but although my life were at stake for so doing I i'eel 
determined to do it. And whether people will hear or forbear now, 
in the great day of eternity the truth of these things will be known, 
and I solemnly protest that I feel no spirit of hardness towards you- 
my brethren. 

" Many ofthe brethren and sisters in Burrillviile, Glocester, Smith- 
field, &c." I am acquainted with — \ love them as christians, and feel no 
hardness towards them, but wish them well, and hope to meet them in 
a happy eternity. 



27 

" I shall consider as my reputation has been abused — misrepresen- 
tations about my conduct and preaching circulated through the coun- 
try, that I shall be justifiable in publishing atrue account, with which 
I purpose to include this letter ; without I should hear something 
from you as a reasonable objection, or a determination to do me jus- 
tice in the course of a few days. 

" Unto those of you who truly love and serve God, however, you 
may have through prejudice or mistake, dealt wrongfully with me, I 
subscribe myself 

Your brother in the Gospel, 

RAY POTTER. 

The following is a copy, verbatim et literatim, of a letter received 
by Ptay Potter from the conference :* 

" Eld. RAY POTTER, 

" We are now under the nesesity of informing you of the result. 
of the preasent conferance, holden in Smithrield (fore the R. I. Quar- 
terly Meetting) on fnday, 17th of Jan. A. D. 1823. 

" The conferance took into consideration your conduct, towards 
the conection, the Elders, and certain individuals, it apeared that 
you had proceded contrary to scripture and the sperit, of the gospel, 
in holding and manifesting felowship with the unfruitfull wor^s of 
darkness, in that you have the pastcrall care of a church who, cut off 
a number of good Members from the church without shewing sufficient 
cnus, or eney thing in them suficiently grievous to announce them 
guilty of such death or bonds. After evrey other efart ruled, 2 elders 
of good Report, by choice of the Conferance ; as a comittee visited 
you, but could gain no satisfaction but Rather eyU treatment, 

. " you did agree in conferance to do all in your power to afect a 
union, but insted theirof, continued to keep up seperation, you agreed 
with D. G. Buffington and others ; to abide the judgment of certain 
chosen men to sit in counsell upon the subject of the Mettinghouse, 
also that you would not hold Mettings in the schoolhouse, let the mater 
turn as it would ; and then continued to hold forth as you had before 
done ; and at the same manifesting a disatisfaction concerning the 
judment of the chosen men or council as above mentioned, 

"youthen forworrded a letter to the Q,. Metting that contained 
sur.h statements as are unbecoming a Christian as even expose you 
to the civil Lawe, in said letter you brught certain charges against a 
brother, which which charges you once solemnly declared never to 
bring up again, you toterley renounced, and disaprobated the proced- 
ingsof the ; Conferance, and conection, in Regard to their manner of 
delings with you and your associates. In short after ?Ster youhadbeen 
fore 6 months under admonition repetedely visited fore termes of 
reconsileation to no afect, but rinding j^our conduct unfavorable to- 

* I have not caused this letter to appear thus, that is, with a regard 
to its orthography and grammatical construction from any other motive 
than to be enabled to saw that it was inserted here as I received it. 



28 

■wards every rational propersition in that a censorous sperit mixed 
with evedent Marks of revenge seamed to betray it self continuly in 
most of your carriage, and in writing upon the exigencies of grief the 
same was manifest 

" After a clear investigation of the several imprudent steps you had 
taken, and observing an unwilingness to Confess your missteeps, the 
conferancc unanimousley voted to withdraw fellowship from you, and 
Reject you from the conection, as a disorderly wal er, hoping that 
you may be lett to disco vere the vast importance of a more holey, 
and godley walk, mixed with that tenderness seen in the Life and of 
Jesus, We therefore informe you, and the world that you are no 
more a mumber of the Free Will Baptist conection nor can be with- 
out confesion and satisfaction to your brethren. 

" Sinedin behalf of the Elders' Conferance 
Attest 

REUBEN ALLEN Clerk of sd Con" 

< 4 Here I have learned the clergy makes the church." 

"Dow." 
To the Elders composing the conference as aforesaid. Brethren — 
You will, I think, have no cause to complain of a review of your 
proceedings towards me, as is partly exhibited in the foregoing letter, 
if it is done with a strict adherence to truth. You will also remem- 
ber that a very wise man observes, that '* He that is first in his own 
cause seemeth just ; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him " 
If you have walked according to the golden rule, searching and exa- 
mining can do your cause no harm, but will rather serve to make it 
appear more beautiful : — But on the contrary, if you have made unto 
yourselves crooked paths, an exhibition of plain truth in comparison 
with them, will also make them appear more conspicuous in their 
native deformity. But how few will bear to be told of their faults, 
and how averse is the proud heart of man to acknowledge himself 
in fault when reason tells him plainly that he is guilty ? It is much 
more accommodating to our carnal nature, when we are reproved 
for iniquity, to turn upon those who may feel constrained, from a 
sense of duty to do it, with accusations that they are full of 4t a cen- 
sorious spirit, mixed with evident marks of revenge." But after all, 
in doing thus we only do ourselves the greatest injury ; and although 
we may for awhile gnash on those with our teeth who faithfully re- 
prove us of our faults and sins, yet most assuredly truth will prevail 
at last, and wrath will come to the uttermost on all those who shall 
finally be found its enemies and opposers. But 1 will endeavour to 
avoid prolixity in a way of introduction, and hasten to the review as 
proposed and suggested. 

In the first place I would ask you if it is a theory or plan which 
you mean to establish, that the ministers in your connexion are to 
have the exclusive right and power to govern the whole body of pri- 
vate believers, without their having any voice in their proceedings, 
*r even a knowledge or understanding of the same ? If so, why do 



29 

you travel to and fro, and talk so much about liberty, and of the 
rights of the people, and represent to the world that the Free Will 
Baptists hold to equality among the members, and that all have, and 
of right ought to have, a voice in the government of the church, and 
ordering the concerns thereof. If you say that you do not mean to 
establish the above mentioned theory or plan of church govern- 
ment, I ask you 'how it come about that when I directed a letter to 
the quarterly meeting, not to an elder's conference, but to private 
brethren as well as ministers, that it was stopped in the eldeis con- 
ference, and not laid before the ones to whom it was directed. Per- 
haps you can explain the affair to my satisfaction, and to the satisfac- 
tion of the churches ; — if you catf, it would be altogether best, for 
there is a gloomy outside to it. Did you think you knew better 
where my letters should go than I did myself? and so take upon your- 
selves to turn it another course than that which I directed. Be this 
as it may in your opinion ; I think for the present I chose rather to 
have this privilege reserved to myself of thinking and acting for my- 
self in such like business ; and although I hope I am not entirely 
lost to all grateful feelings, yet I must be permitted to observe that I 
have no thanks to oifer to any one who take upon them to stop my 
letters in their progress, or on their way to the place which I have 
destined them. Did you think you were better qualified to hear the 
contents of that letter and to judge with a regard to the same, than 
the brethren unto whom it was directed ? 1 know not how it stands 
with them, but for my own part 1 chose 3 r et my own head, and eyes 
and ears,- in preference to any man's ; and it is an hundred to one if 
some of these people in Rhode Island do not yet convince you that 
they can hear and understand, and judge for themselves, and also act 
for themselves ; and that they do not thank three or four ministers 
from Vermont and New-Hampshire for doing such business for them, 
No man need wear a coat without it suits him well ; but gold and sil- 
ver, houses and barns, great men, honourable extraction, and the like, 
will sometimes bias men in their conduct to a degree, and in a man- 
ner which they are hardly sensible of themselves. The rich and 
opulent move along, and let their conduct be ever so unjust or re- 
prehensible, scarcely any dare say, Why do ye so ? and if perchance 
any do call in question their conduct (if poor) his fate is almost cer- 
tain. Rut a time is coming which will try men's souls, which under 
the present existing circumstances, affords me satisfaction. When I 
joined the Free Will Baptist connexion, I thought 1 joined fellowship 
with the private brethren as well as ministers, neither did I expect- 
that I ever should see the proceedings which I since have been 
brought to realize ; — I mean the proceedings of certain elders in the 
conference and elsewhere, in regard to myself and Mr. Greene. — ■ 
Before I leave this point I will just insert a few lines of elder 
Hutchinson's hymn, which seems to be appropos to the case before 
us. 



30 

' The time soon is coming by the prophets forotoicJ, 
When Zion in punty the world will behold ; 
For Jesus' pure testimony will gain the day, 
Denomination se'jishness will vanish away ; 
But O ! what a storm of persecution will rage, 
In the cause of old Babylon too many engage .; 
Eeliolding their loss and thus beginning to sink, 
They'll hope to obstruct the light from spreading, I think. ' 

If that letter was as you say, an unbecoming one for a christian im 
write, your reading of, or laying it before the brethren in general, 
and letting them understand the subject matter of it, would not have 
hurt your cause any, but would only have served to place the writer 
in a ( ontemptible poinl of view ! But might not one be led to guess, 
who knew nothing of its contents, that there was something in it 
which was quite a desirable thing by some to keep secret, and which 
some brethrep might discover if, the conduct 01 one who professes to' 
be a minister, which would be as hard work for them to swalow as it 
would to swallow a camel. 

I next come to consider the charges which you have brought 
against me as mentioned in your letter, for which jou say you unan- 
imously withdraw fellowship from me, and reject me from the con- 
nexion as a "disorderly walker." — This I shall endeavour to do by 
considering the charges distinctly as they seem to be laid down. 

The first stands represented thus : " The conference took into con- 
sideration your conduct towards the connexion, the elders and certain 
individuals. It appeared thai you had proceeded contrary to the scrip- 
ture, and the spirit of the gospel, in holding and manifesting fellow- 
ship with the unfruitful works of darkness ; in that you had the pasto- 
ral care of a church, who cut off a number of good members from the 
church without shewing sufficient cause, or any thing in them sufficient- 
ly grievous to announce them guilty of such death or bonds." This 
seems to be the principal charge which you have against me, or 
rather this is the root from winch all the rest grow. 

The plain statement of the case is, that Daniel Greene was a mem- 
ber of this church, that this church became grieved and burdened 
in consequence of his unchristian like conduct, which evidently was 
the means of spoiling the peace of the church ; that they bore with 
him until they considered further forbearance would be a sin, and 
that in duty to the cause of religion in general and that church in par- 
ticular, they set him aside or withdrew fellowship from him. Imme- 
diately upon this, after being disapprobated by the church, he goes^ 
around unto these members alluded to in your charge, to get himself 
approbated or recommended by them : — they do it directly and man- 
ifestly in opposition and contrary to the main body of the church. 
This' recommendation was used by Mr. Greene in order to be still 
sanctioned as a gospel minister in good standing — it was carried to 
the quarterly meeting and there read in his vindication. I will not 
be positively certain, but I must be permitted to think, that no candid 
man of judgment will deny, that there couid be no consistent 



SI 

way for the church to act with a regard to those members but t© 
withdraw from them also — this was what they did : and this you call 
unfruitful works of darkness ; and because I have the pastoral care of* 
this church and fellowship them who have thus conducted, you have 
seen fit to count me a publican and heathen. I did not lift my hand 
in the affair neither ; but rather did all that I could do consistently 
on the behalf of those members, by advising the church to bear with 
a while longer — this many of them know. But they considered that 
these members by thus attaching themselves to Mr. Greene, when he 
had but just been disowned by the church, had justly exposed them- 
selves to church censure. And who can say to the contrary ? Put 
yourselves in the same condition ; — should a member of any of the 
churches of which you have the pastoral care, conduct in such a 
manner that you found it your indispensable duty to deal with him, 
and after you had thus dealt with him, some of the members decided- 
ly attach themselves to him. What would you do : You would find no 
other way to do if the member with whom you dealt was manifestly 
guilty, and you meant to act consistent, than to do as this church has 
done. But notwithstanding the church thought it their duty thus to 
act with a regard to those members, yet they have ever fait WiHing 
and ready to have a reconciliation with them, and receive them again 
to fellowship upon scriptural equitable terms. If they had been de- 
ceived in what they had done, not considering the consequences or 
realizing the subject, they were willing to pass over and forgive the 
procedure as imprudent as it was. A number of them have thus ac- 
quiesced, declaring that when they signed that recommendation they 
knew not for what purpose it was, nor that it was ever a going to ex- 
pose them to dii.iicr.lty — that they were completely deceived bjr Mr. 
Greene in this affair. But some others seem, and always have seem- 
ed determined to persist in vindication of his conduct, notwithstand- 
iug the plainest evidence that his co"ncfu£t was justly reprehensible, 
and all attempts to come to a reconc; . :i with i. *pon reasona- 
ble or scriptural terms, has proved abortive, as I sna^ hew you in 
the sequel. If the church would receive Mr*. Greene into full fel- 
lowship, and to have him for their king, all would go Well ; and 
nothing else it plainly appears would satisfy some respecting ibis :• — 
but the church say " there is another king, one Jesus." Here the 
business you plainly see concentrates, that we must fellowship and 
approbate Mr. Greene, or we must go out of the synagogue, and be 
condemned by a council. You tell in the subsequent part of your 
letter (which I shall presently consider more fully) that my con- 
duct was unfavourable towards every rational proposition for a 
reconciliation." Let it be remembered, and let it serve as a key 
to unlock this door all the way through, that these rational propo- 
sitions always have been, that myself and the church must, as above 
stated, profess union and fellowship without reserve with Mr. Greene. 
This I could not do without professing one thing and believing anoth- 
er. And be it known unto you and the world, that this I shall not do 3 



32 

without I see and am convinced that there is an alteration in the man, 
Th3 fe:<r of God in my heart forbids, and although you may think lit, 
after having been so plainly informed with a regard to his proceedings 
for a year past, yet to keep him under the shadow of your wing and 
bear me down for laying these things before you, yet I will, by the 
grace of God suffer death, before I will deviate from truth and duty 
to such an extremity. It is not because I am angry ; neither is it be- 
cause I have revenge in my heart, that I thus write — it is not because 
I wish this man harm neither ; however you may impute it to that, 
but because I do not mean to trifle with the things of religion, v ith 
the cause of Christ, with the souls of my fellow men. I know no 
man after the flesh ; gold nor silver never did, I humbly trust, and I 
most earnestly hope and pray, never will bias me in the things of re- 
ligion. Bui to conclude my remarks with a regard to this charge 
which you adduced against me, I have only to say, that you have 
only made a mistake in wording of it ; and that instead of saying that 
I have gone contrary to scripture and the spirit of the gospel in hold- 
ing and manifesting fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, 
&c. ; you should say, that you reject me from your fellowship, be- 
cause I hold and manifest fellowship with, and have the pastoral care 
of a church, who will not fellowship Mr. Daniel Greene. This 
is plain talk 1 know, but I ask you if it is not plain truth ; if it is, say 
not that I write harsh and shew marks of revenge ; for truth will 
stand and cut its way finally through, call it what you will, hard or 
soft. And if it has got to be the case that a man must be rejected 
from your fellowship, because he will not cloak iniquity, because he 
will not fellowship the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather re- 
proves them, all that 1 can say is, that I am sorry from my heart, ancr 
hope that heaven will pity you and show you the necessity of walk- 
ing according to the truth. Your next charge is, "After every other 
effort failed, two elders of good report, by choice of the conference, as 
a committee, visited you, but could gain no satisfaction but rather evil 
treatment." 

Why had you not stated what this evil treatment was ? Elder 
White and elder Allen, were these elders : elder White is now in the 
eastern country, and was not present when you passed this decisive 
sentence upon me and made out this statement. It must therefore be 
elder Allen who knows about this treatment, and exhibited the state- 
ment before the conference : and 1 ask him in what it consisted — was 
it in action ? Did I ever strike him or molest his person? Was it in 
word ? Did I ever abuse him in conversation ? Or was it in thought ? 
Did he discover some premeditation or contemplation, which, although 
never manifested in word nor action, yet by his penetrating and 
acute discernment, he was enabled to say, " he thinketh evil ?" I ask 
this man to shew me, to shew the world, or shew the Free Will Bap- 
tist brethren, in what this evil treatment consisted. Elder Allen ar- 
rived in this country about the time, or just before the difficulty be- 
tween Mr. Greene and the church commenced, and has unjformly 






33 

and without one exception to my knowledge, acted decidedly in his 
favour. Mr. Greene's barn has been a home for Lis horse, and his 
house for his person, when in the place ; and I know of no instance 
when Mr. Greene's conduct has been called in question, but wha he 
has apparently done every thing in his power to vindicate him, and 
of course to oppose me. I ask him how in conscience he can now 
say, that he has received from me evil treatment. If every body 
knew as well as the people do in freneral in Pawtucket, respecting 
this business of evil treatment, I should need say nothing upon the 
subject, for it is quite evident to every one who has been a candid ob- 
server of the spectacle which has been exhibited here a year past, 
where this charge would justly fall. The great cry was when the 
church first began to be di-ssatisned with Mr. Greene's conduct, that I 
and the church were about turning methodists : but admitting this in 
your point of view, to be a capital crime, to leave your connexion 
arid join another, yet you ought not, as the proverb is, " to hang me 
before 1 killed the man." 

If 1 had done it, I meant to have done it honorably. But the business 
seems thus to me : — If he does go he shall not go with a whole skin* 
his beloved brethren and sisters shall, if possible, be prejudiced 
against him, by representing him in a deluded state. He shall, in 
short, if he does leave the connexion, go naked, destitute of friends, 
distressed and poor, without a place to lay his head, notwithstanding 
all of his labour heretofore, and that he has evidently almost worn 
his very life entirely out, for the everlasting welfare of those brethren 
and sisters which we will strip from the arms of his fellowship and 
union. 

Mr. Greene evidently undertook in such kind of business as this. 
I stand ready to prove it as positively as any thing can be proved by 
witnesses. I here insert an extract from the church records pertain- 
ing to this point. " Our meeting house, (says the church) was no 
sooner finished by the liberality of the publick, than th re was an 
evident change in his behaviour ; and he seems to have formed a de- 
termination, that if we did not choose him for our pastor, he should 
wrest the meeting house from us. These are not mere surmises, his 
petty ambition, vanity and imprudence, prompted him, long before he 
was set aside, to use such language as the following to some of the 
sisters. Why cannot the brethren have me to preach to them ? 
They are all poor, and are not able to support elder Potter : I should 
not want to have any thing from them ; I should rather help them. 
He then did all in his power to raise a party for himself, and against 
our elder. 

" The scriptural simplicity of our pastor's walk and conversation, 
accorded so ill with the worldly views of Mr. Greene, that he decla- 
red to a number of the brethren, that elder Potter was not sufficiently 
respectable to be introduced into certain rich families which he na- 
med ; as if any christian, however poor, was not more respectable 
than rich men that had not even the form of godliness. Daniel Greene 
next openly avowed and advocated a determination to contribute no 
5 



34 

1 to the support of his and our elder ;* and encouraged nnd 
I others rethren to Withdraw their pport. 

\ • ber nlTonccs against the peace "and good or. 

last compelled us; though perhaps too reluctantly, to 

tte him from us,'* This is phiin talk, but is it not true talk ? 
VVhat ever cou-d have i , . church to act as they have, 

with a regard to Daniel Greene, but a sense of duty ? It is hard to be 
accounted for on any other ground :— rhe was the only rich manwhicji 
there was in the church — they were, beside him, all poor. Nov, if 
these people are such creatures as ypu want to make th< 
pear to the worlcl, th path which Mr. 

■ trked them ? He w< del, been willing to help them, 

[1 of having the help him. They knew all this, and 

they knew that 1 was not only poor, but sick at th (t time, unable to 

i to them, besides a wife and four children dependent on them 
for support- too. I ask you, what made them do as they did '. W as 
it self? No, incre is a language which sounds from the*ir proceedings, 
louder than thunder, that they meant to act like honest christians, 
who set more by a clear conscience than they did by Mr. Greene's 
money ; who was determined to withhold their hands from taking a 
bribe, and to act derided f}r God and truth, let what would be the 

juehces. I do net say that you have been bribed by Sir. 

j. to conduct as } r ou have, but it is too unaccountable that after 
all you have done when coming into this country, about the time that 
Mr. Greene thus, as above mentioned, began this kind of treatment 
towards me, and taking hold as it were, decidedly with him through 
the whole, that you should bring this charge against me of evil treat- 
ment.' This story will not go down well in Pawtueket. I would ask 
one of you, if he remembers about a year ago, when he first came 
into this country, when I was sick and broken down with infirm- 
ity, that lie urged me very much to go to the quarterly met ting at 

on, and -after I had rode there in the cold, at the same time 
sc : ly able to set on my horse, he arose, and the great drift of his 
vidently aimed at me as representing me to be in a 
state o( delusion, because I held to and preached the doctrine of sanc- 
fification, by representing how he himself had been once led away 
by a wrong spirit ; intimating evidently, that I was in the same condi- 
tion : and again in Pawtueket meeting house, before a congregation 
of people, t dking in the same way, when he preached from this t-xt, 
" I am Joseph, your brother;" and at the same time utterly unable 
to prove me erroneous in doctrine from the scriptures — besides tak- 

*Be it known unto you, and all the world, that I never courted 
Mr. Greene's money, neither did 1 ever have much of it; and not- 
withstanding all thai 1 '' I difiei about his helping 
me, yet 1 am quite confident that all which he ever gave me would not 
amount to forty dollars ; and what n is there that would not 
,;. much as ised \ip, a meeting house built, 
&c. in order to cat the fruit thereof himself? 



35 

ing his stand in the meeting house in unison with M& Greene,* and 
in direct opposition to me, for months apparently cnileavousm^ to get 
me out of the place. Does he remember when he came to the 
house where I live, and notwithstanding I was sick, yet expressed a 
desire that I should leave the place — in the dead of winter too, I 
must ily from my family — wife, children, and church — in order to let 
him rectify matters , and then go to quarterly meeting, and in elders' 
conference, reject me as a disorder!} walker, and be one to authorise 
a letter to be sent me, in which 1 am implicated for evil treatment 1 ! 
Does it cost all this to hold up oar sect or denomination, that we must 
bear down, and act decidedly against a brother to all intents and pur- 
poses, without any just cause? if it does, hear this, all ye sectarians, 
wherever you arc ; that let the love of party, or an attachment to 
your particular denomination, preponderate with such weight in the 
scale of 3'our conduct, as to c.iuse you to crush a man because he 
will not build you up at the expense of palling others down, who are 
as good as yo u are — that God will ere long, sweep your sects snd 
parties aw r ay with the besom of destruction, and denomination names 
and denomination selfishness shall, in the christian world, be known 
ho more. With a regard to your treatment, clear through this affair 
much might be said, and much which you cannot deny, which ought 
to affect your hearts ; but as I am sensible you well know it your- 
selves, I leave you to ponder it in your minds, and settle it between 
yourselves and him who will ere long judge the quick and dead. I 
forgive you from my heart, and earnestly hope and desire that this sin 
may not be laid to your charge. — '■* You did agfee in conference to do 
all in your power to effect an union, but instead thereof \ continued to 
keep up separation.'''' 

This is almost the last thing that I should thought of your alleg- 
ing against me; but however he must be crucified, and in order 
thereunto, something must be alleged against him, even if it is the 
same things of which we are guilty ourselves. 1 agreed at confer- 
ence to do all that I could to effect a union in this church, and so did 
a number of the rest of you. The brethren in Burrill villa, Chepach- 
et, &c. seemed to have quite a feeling sense of our difficulties, end 
some of them talked quite handsome, in a christian like manner up- 
on the subject. I was pleased witfi their treatment and conversation. 
I arrived home Sabbath morning after the people had gathered to- 
gether for worship ; when I dismissed the congregation I requested die 
church to tarry awhile ; I laid this matter before them, and told them 
of the desiie of the brethren in the regions where I had been, to at- 
tend quarterly meeting to have a union effected in the church ; that 
I had agreed to do all that 1 could in order to bring it about— exhort- 
ed them to acquiesce in this undertaking. They seemed pleased, 
and appointed a meeting to consider upon'it further, and to try to hit 
upon the best method to have this effected. They met accordingly, 

*For proof of this, see his own letter published in the Religious 
Informer, in February, 1823. 



30 

and I was chosen to carry their report to the other party, who were 
io have a church in tne course oi a few ev; ings. Accor- 

dingly I went, and as I did not wish to go into their church meeting 
for fear of embarrassing them, I sent for elder Allen, and laid the 
9nbject before him in language to this amount: — That I had conversed 
with the brethren under my care upon the subject of an union in the 
church, as proposed in the conference ; that they seemed willing to 
every thing which was reasonable and consistent with aregaidto the 
affair; that they were indeed willing to acknowledge their faults to 
the other party, if it appeared they had been out of the way ; and 
that they desired to have a meeting with them in order to cot \ 
the matter over together. This message I desired elder Alien to 
]ay before them, and expected he would, but whether he did or, not, 
I am not able to say; but one thing is certain, I never have h< 
a word from him with a regard to this subject, from that to this. V-, e 
waited for an answer but had none at all from them as a body. Mr. 
Greene, I was informed, told some of our brethren, that there was 
no communication had come to them in a formal manner. When el- 
der Morse, came into the place again, this subject was revived s 
with a regard to a union We told elder Morse what we had done ; 
(lie plea was that we must send our communication in writing, and it 
would be attended to. The church resolved to try, and accoidh- 
met in church meeting, and I here transcribe an extract from their 
records, which shows what they did. 

Monday, December 9. The church met agreeably to appointment, 
and after solemn prayer to God for direction, proceeded to consider 
the case of those brethren and sisters who were set aside on the 20th 
of April and 21st of ''ay last. After much deliberation it was unani- 
mously agreed to send to brother Gardner Buffington aletter, of which 
the following is a copy. 

Pawtucket, Dec. 9, 1822. 
Dear Brother, 

Brother Potter and brother Greene having at the last quarterly 
meeting, undertaken to do all that lies in their power to bring about 
a union, and the church being impressed with an earnest desire of 
an event so much to be wished for, (on reasonable and scriptural 
terms) has resolved that our brethren are willing to meet with you 
and your brethren on Thursday evening first, at any place you may 
affix upon, to consider upon what terms the proposed union ought to 
be established. An answer to this overture is expected as long be- 
fore the time of meeting as possible. 

Signed on behalf of the church, 

ALEXANDER WATSON, Clerk. 
To brother Gardner Buffington, Pawtucket. 

The following is an answer which we received to the foregoing. 



37 

Pawtucket, Dec. 9, 1822. 

To the several professors of religion in union with elder Ray Pot- 
ter — settdeth answer : — 

This morning I received a line from your brother, Alexander Wat- 
son, clerk, proposing a readiness to meet me, with my brethren, in 
order to consult on scriptural ground, some measures of reconcili- 
ation or union. Answer. — The time has been when myseii J 
brethren stood in covenant and union with you as brethren ; after 
awhile you saw fit to reject me and my brethren from your fellowship, 
without even proving us immoral. We consider rejected members 
in general, under obligation to repent and return to God and their 
brethren individually, before we can perceive much ground for union, 
an .1 as we are not yet convinced of our sins for which Ave were re- 
jected, and consequently destitute of a spirit of repentance in this 
• ; therefore, we do not as yet perceive any business for a con- 
ference of the kind which you have proposed in your communication ; 
bat we think we are prepared to say, that God has been good to us, 
for, although reduced to a few like Gideon's, yet God is with us, and 
as we feel no ill will to any person, therefore we calculate to keep 
open doors to receive with pleasure into our meetings, into our hearts, 
into our houses, and into our church, all who exhibit a sincere de- 
sire to love and serve the Lord. 

In behalf of my brethren, 

GARDNER BUFFINGTON. 
To Alexander Watson, Clerk. 

Fortunate it was for me that some of these communicatiuns were in 
writing ; the candid, impartial christian will take notice of these com- 
munications ; and then judge with regard to the consistency of your 
charge above mentioned, viz : 

" You did agree in conference to do all in your pov:cr to effect a 
union, and afterwards continued to keep up separation;" 

Did elder Allen pen this charge ? Why did he not insert another 
in such language as this 1 You did come down from Vermont about a 
year ago last October ; you found in Pawtucket a church raised up 
under the instrumentality of elder Allen, who was then sick, and appa- 
rently worn out with his past labours ; you did join hands with a per- 
son who rose up and tried to injure said Allen without cause, and af- 
ter said person was turned out of said church, for his bad conduct, and 
had raised for himself a party in said church, you did take the pastoral 
care of them which seemed to please your vanity well ; and, then ap- 
parently desired a union in said church, upon no other condition but 
for them all to come into your church, (mark the last clause of the 
letter from deacon Bumngton,) for, if it was not ou this wise, you 
would evidently lose your bishoprick, and would not have your name 
in the Religious Informer, as pastor of a church in Pawtucket ; and, 
after all, you did, as clerk for the elders' conference pen a charge 
against said Allen, in order to get something against him, to set him 
aside from the connexion, which charge, in/act, justly belongs to vour- 
self, viz : 



33 

" You did agree in conference to do all in your power to effect a 
union, and afterwards continued to keep up separation^ 

I say why was there not such a charge as this penned by elder Al- 
len against this Potter, who is so full of a spirit of revenge, &,c. ? — 
woul I not have been as just as the one above mentioned. But I leave 
this point to talk for itself, for I am persuaded that there is something 
about this business, of this charge, which will require all the ingenui- 
ty of elder Allen and the conference, to make the people believe it 
to 'be consistent with justice, equity and truth. 

" You did agree with deacon Bujftngton and others, to abide by the 
judg.nent of certain chosen men, to set in council upon the subject of the 
meeting house ." 

And do I not abide by that judgment — have I ever laid any claim to 
the meetinghouse since ? Have I ever requested to preach in it since? 
Shew me one word or action of mine or the church, tending to this 
point if you can? and if you cannot, why is this phrase exhibited 
here ? 

" Also, that you would not hold meetings in the schoolliouse, let the 
matte- turn as it would." 

Im mediately upon the decision of the meetinghouse, I told the con- 
gregation that I had said, that if 1 lost the meetinghouse I would not 
have two meetings so near together. But, as there was a prospect of 
our soon having another house, it was the wish of the church, and ma- 
ny others, that I should continue to preach there through the win- 
ter.* This we should take as a favour, as it was cold weather, and 
the meetings would not interfere when the houses were all shut up, 
and 1 should take it as a favour to preach there till spring, as we had 
no where else to meet, but that I did not mean to preach there but a 
very short time. Moreover I told the congregation that if they thought 
I did wrong in thus continuing till spring. I hoped they would not 
come to meeting, and thereby shew their disapprobation. 

This was about the substance of what I stated to the publick, of 
which there is nearly two hundred witnesses. 

A prisoner condemned to death, by the laws of the land, generally 
has iY j >v divs allotted him after sentence is past, for the purpose of 
contemplation and meditation upon the subject ; and I submit it to a 
can lid christian publick to judge, with regard to this affair, how much 
of that spirit of Jesus you have manifested yourselves, which you so 
earnes f !y exhort me to, in the conclusion of your letter. 

* We profess to lay no claim to the schoolhouse for meetings, we 
only asked the privilege to hold meetings there a short time as on suf- 
fer mce, until we could get somewhere else ; and when 1 take a re- 
trospective view of what his taken pi ice, with regard to the meet- 
ing muse, and thcMt this ch arge concerning the schoolhouse ; and that 
we have even been driven ;iown into the cellar part of it, where we 
have suffered with inconvenience and cold, my heart is affected within 
me. 



39 

If I remember right, there were but two sabbaths passed from the 
•time the meetinghouse business was settled, and the quarterly meet- 
ing. I transcribe a few verses from Revelations, which a candid an- 
ti-sectarian, might perhaps think directly in point to the subject be- 
fore us, and leave this, and pass on, briefly to consider the remainder 
of jour allegations. 

" And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and 
bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." 

And that no man buy or sell, (preach nor pray) save he that had 
the mark, or the name, or the number of the beast (without he belongs 
to our denomination, (see v. iv. c. 12,) who is able to make war with 
it, with our quarterly meetings, yearly meetings, conferences, minis- 
ters, clergy, or if you please the Pope- himself,) or number of his 
name. Rev. xiii. — 16, 17. 

" And at the same time manifesting dissatisfaction concerning the 
judgment of the chosen men or council.^ I refer you to page for a 
decisive answer to this, which it would be unnecessary fur me to re- 
peat again. 

This finishes the business, until you come to the letter which I 
sent to the quarterly meeting, and this picking my letter open in 
your elders conference, which was sent to somebody else, and that 
too on Friday, when it was directed to the quarterly meeting to meet 
on Saturday, seems again to clearly exhibit the truth of the proverb 
which I have once before mentioned " that is, you hung him before 
he killed the man." 

It can be got along no better with on your side, than for you to say 
you hung him because you were afraid he would kill some bodj'. — 
When was your elders' conference ? observe the date on Friday the 
17th of January : when as the quarterly meeting to meet, on Sat- 
urday the 18th, and yet in making out your allegations, and charges 
in said conference, which was holden on the 17th, for which you any 
you reject me — the subject matter of that letter is brought against 
me as a very essential part of what I have done. Oh, shame where 
is thy blush ! Oh, bigotry and sectarianism what hast thou not done, 
and what wilst thou not do, in order to hold up thine own denomination. 
Search the annals of history, even in the dark ages of popery, and find 
if you can, that ever a man was said to be rejected or counted a here- 
tick, disorderly walker, &c. for deeds which it was expected he would 
soon commit ! ! I think the pope's indulgences went so far as to can- 
cel or forgive sins that were likely, liable, or might be committed, in 
the future tense, but I do not remember that ever a man was condemn- 
ed for sins which might be thus committed, in time yet to come. But 
you will say, perhaps, the letter was already written ; I answer, how 
could you know what was inside of it on Friday, when it was directed 
to a quarterly meeting that were not to assemble until Saturday, sealed 
I think with three or four seals, without going a step too far for men in 
your station. I do not wish to be harsh nor censorious, but truth is 
truth let it hit who it will, and a word of advice unto you, might be 
proper, with regard to similar proceedings : that in future, if you can- 



40 

not find a man guilty of enough (whom you wish to put down) with- 
out going to the ex . .), bat you have towards me for your credit's 
sake, if not for conscience sake you had better be still. 

Bat notwithstanding I do not feel myself bound to consider these 
remarks of yours, with regard to this letter, as legal charges for misde- 
meanour in me ; yet 1 feel willing to inquire into their solidity and 
consistency. 

" You then forwarded a letter to the quarterly meeting that contain- 
ed such statements as are unbecoming a christian as even expose y u to 
the civil law. In said letter you brought certain charges against a bro- 
ther, which charges you once solemnly declared you would never b ing 
lip again; you totally renounced and disapprcbated the proceedings of 
the conference, and connexion, in regard to their manner of dealings 
with you and your associates." 

I ask what statements are these that are unbecoming for a christian ? 
Did you mean that it was unbecoming for me to make any statements 
which are contained in that letter, or did you mean that there w.is cer- 
tain conduct, specified, marked out, or delineated in said letter respec- 
ting somebody else which was quite unbecoming for a christian — if 
the latter was your meaning, I should join with you, and I think peo- 
ple in general would be of the same opinion. But if the former was 
your meaning, I ask what have I wrote or stated in that letter which 
is unbecoming for a christian to state — are they not true statements ? 
you pretend not to allege but what they are. And is it unbecoming 
for a christian to tell the truth ? why had you not said it is uncommon 
in this degenerate age of the world for many who profess Christianity 
to speak the truth ? this would, I think, have been a plainer exhibi- 
tion of things as they really are. 

I could hardly have conceived that it would have been possible for 
a conference of elders, of the Free Will Baptist connexion to have 
made out such a statement as this. But the letter will show for itself, 
and if there is nothing untrue in it, I cannot conceive how it is so un- 
becoming. But hark, " In said letter you brought certain charges against 
a brother, which charges you once solemnly declared never to bring up 
again." 

Oh, yes, here's the difficulty. When I was a little boy, I used to 
hear the people talk something of what they called a gag law ; I know 
not what it was. but I suppose it must have been some kind of a law, 
which somewhere, at some time, had existed, to stop people from 
talking and writing ; now it appears to me that your language seems 
to be verging towards such kind of restrictions, even with regard to 
telling the truth. 

What you mean by the statement above, I know not that I have a 
right conception, but think that it must refer to what passed, with re- 
gard to Mr. Greene and m) r sclfatthe last elders' conference. Mr. 
Greene, at that time, confessed many things to me, which he owned he 
had been out of the way in, and I could do no less than to forgive 
him. I am ever in duty bound, if a person trespass against me seven- 
ty times seven in a day, and return and say that he repents, to forgive 



41 

him — but I ask you, that when this person professes to repent and 
ask forgiveness ever so many times, if he yet persist in the same way 
and course still, and finally settles down in it, if the circumstances at- 
tending might not make it the indispensible duty of the one who un- 
derstood his conduct through, to state the whole course of his procee- 
dings, and how he first began to offend, and wander from the path of 
rectitude, which if he actually had repented truly and altered his 
course, not only confessed, but also forsook, might have forever buri- 
ed in oblivion. 

Now since the difficulty commenced here, Mr. Greene and myself 
have again and again met, and apparently settled all past difficulties ; 
but what next, he would continually travel in the same course still. — - 
At the elders' conference we had another talk of the like nature — but 
I had seen so much of it, that I had but little hope of any thing lasting 
being realized from it. And you know that I asserted clear through, 
that notwithstanding what had been said, I " could not yet put confi- 
dence in Mr. Greene." 

And yet you say that I have brought certain charges against a broth- 
er, which I solemnly promised never to bring up again. It looks to 
me as if you do not want, or did not want nor mean to have the true 
statement of this difficulty to come before the brethren ; you must re- 
member that my letter was to the quarterly meeting, that I therein 
stated that I withdrew from the connexion, and I ask you if I could do 
any thing less than to give my reasons — and in giving my reasons 1 
must take notice of the difficulty, and of course of its origin ; and this 
I did in a very circumscribed manner, without entering into particu- 
lars, with regard to what transpired between Mr. Greene and myself. 
Whatever you may say concerning this affair, I believe that many pri- 
vate brethren will say that they think they have a right to know some- 
thing about this affair, as well as for preachers to know all, and that I 
have done no more than my duty in endeavouring to give them this 
information. 

It has not been a desirable task to say what I have said, from time 
to time, with regard to Mr. Green ; I would not do it if I thought it 
was not my indispensible duty. It is now more than a year that I 
have been as it were buried by misrepresentation. If I had stolen, or 
cheated or publickly renounced the religion of Christ I know not that 
I could have been placed in a more contemptible point of view than 
that which Mr. Greene has evidently tried to place me in the eyes of 
the publick ; because I believe and preach the duty and privilege of 
the saints being entirely holy or saved from all sin in this life. He 
has had a good horse and while I have been confined at home by sick- 
ness, &c. he has visited the adjoining towns and neighbourhoods 
where I was formerly known, and apparently esteemed by many per- 
sons as a preacher of the gospel, and represented me in a point of 
view which has been calculated to make people think that I am far 
gone in the evils of religious fanaticism and enthusiasm. 

At the quarterly meeting, at Smithfield, last summer, I made an ear- 
nest request of the quarterly meeting to appoint a committee to come 
6 



42 

clown into rawtucket, to make a fair inquiry into my religious char- 
acter and v\ alk, since I had been in Pawtucket, of the inhabitants in 
general. 

This was refused me, and I feel it my duty that I owe to God and 
the cause of religion in general to let this matter be exhibited for the 
examination of those who may have been misinformed respecting ma- 
ny particulars. 

Let me cell you, that it is one thing to have a zeal for the Lord of 
jHosts, and for the promotion of his cause and kingdom in the world, 
an 1 another to have a zeal for any particular sect or party among 
christians. The former is commendable in the highest sense of the 
word, the latter is dangerous beyond description to ourselves and 
others — words can never describe what I see in it, and what I think I 
have realized and suffered, in consequence of it. 

You complain that, the letter which I wrote was unbecoming, &c. 
and that I brought charges against a brother which I once promised 
nevor to bring again, this I consider has been fairly answered. 

I now ask you if the things mentioned in the last clause of that let- 
ter were charges which I was not to mention ? I mean with a regard 
to Mr. Greene's bill. DM he promise and even volunteer his servi- 
ces, to get money subscribed for th^ building that 'meetinghouse for 
nothing ? In vain do you pretend to deny it. Did he charge, tea 
yer cent on tjhese subscriptions, which I think amounted to nearly one 
h-rad'-ed and fifty dollars, and thus present his bill, and demand pay- 
ment ? You will not deny but what he did. 

Did he not declare after the house was completed, that it was paid 
for bat about fifty dollars, and yet, did he not afterwards present a 
bill against the chxirch, of between four and five hundred dollars ! 
Can any one deny this ? — I am ready to prove it by a cloud of wit- 
nesses 

I would now ask you to take that letter which you directed to me, 
giving information of your proceedings with regard to me, with all the 
charges which you pretend to bring, and compare it with these last 
circumstances which 1 hive cited your attention to in Mr. Greene's 
conduct, and answer me — answer your consciences — answer your 
brethren in general, and above all answer your God, how you could 
come to that conclusion, with respect to myself, which you say you 
did ? to let me know, and let the world know, that you withdrew fel- 
lowship from me. and rejected me as a disorderly walker, (which is 
nothing less than to count me a publican and heathen,) and at the 
same time hold Mr. Greene in complete union and fellowship, as a 
worthy christian and minister of the gospel ! ! 

There is no doubt but what in making out your charges against me 
tint you got every thing which it was possible for you to get ; and yet 
it is a pi dn fact, that all-of them have grown from this very one root of 
opposing this man. 

Are you a friend to him ? ifyou are do not please him up with the 
id? • that he is domg right, when your own judgment must tell you that 
he has been doing very wrong ; will he thank you for it in a future 



43 

day ? Do you wish to build up the denomination or connexion ? what 
honour to God, what advantage to the cause of religion, what benefit 
to the souls of men, to build it up in this way ? What have you got 
to plead in this case ? Is not this the truth, the plain truth — that Mr. 
Greene has continually manifested a great apparent attachment to the 
Free Will Baptist denomination ? Has he not abounded with that kind 
of language which I mentioned in my letter ? Brethren I am a Free 
Will Baptist — I am a Free Will Baptist still ; and were you not in the 
first place, when the difficulties commenced, apprehensive that I was 
about to lop off, or leave the connexion ? and has not these considera- 
tions had an unaccountable influence ; an influence which you hare 
been hardly aware of yourselves, in your proceedings, with regard to 
these two men. May heaven open your eyes, and the eyes of every 
Free Will Baptist preacher, to see that destructive creature which is 
nourished, fed, and kept alive even on the shores of America. I 
mean sectarianism, denomination, selfishness, or if you please, a beast 
having seven heads and ten horns ; which is the greatest hindrance to 
the cause of truth, probably of any thing in existence, which separates, 
tears in pieces, and divides the sheep and lambs of Christ, to the sor- 
row of their hearts many of them, and to the general lamentation of 
all the true friends of Zion ; and while we say we believe such a time. 
is coming, in the which, the pure gospel and truth as it in Jesus will 
prevail : the children of God no longer be divided by party names, 
and party prejudices, and the watchmen all see eye to eye. Let us 
not contradict by our practice, what we say we believe in — Pray for, 
and long to see, lest we be found with the mark of the beast at last, and 
share his dreadful fate with the false prophet, in the lake af fire. 

Oh, how important it is that we look into these things, for the com- 
ing of the Lord draweth near, and blessed is he that watcheth, and 
keeps his garments, that when he shall come to destroy Antichrist;, 
and every false system and worship among men, he may not be found 
naked, or having nothing but a denomination garment on, instead of 
the garment of salvation, the beautiful robe of purity and holiness. 

A few words more and I have done. Concerning what you say in 
the conclusion of your letter, about my conduct being unfavourable, to* 
wards every rational proposition for reconciliation : I have before 
mentioned (p. 3.) that these rational propositions, were proposi- 
tions which I could not, in conscience, accede to. 

What you say about a censorious spirit, mixed with evident marks of 
revenge, bctrayiug itself inmost of my carriage — I can only say, shew 
me in what this consisted, as I said with regard to the charge of evil 
treatment. Until you do this, I must be permitted to think that no 
word nor action of mine, connected with this difficulty, could be by 
you adduced, to support such a charge, and consequently that your 
remarks about my being revengeful, censorious, &c. is nothing but an 
empty sound. Much stress seems to be laid on the letter, that it was 
harsh and the like, and so, also, these remarks may by you be 
deemed. 



44 

I am well aware that I have written plain : and this rule I ever en- 
deavour to observe, both m speaking and writing on religious sub- 
jects. But you ought to remember that plain truth is as frequently 
considered harsh, censorious and the like, as falsehood — yea, more 
so. How plain was Jesus, and yet how few but what hated him for 
his testimony. It is all important that we look into this subject. In 
short, with respect to the conclusion of your letter that you inform 
me and the -world, that lam no longer a member of the Free Will Bap- 
tist connexion, &c. 

I would observe that3 r ou gave me no news from this quarter at all, 
cts the letter which I wrote a number of days before to the quarterly 
meeting will plainly shew. But as you say, this is to let the world 
know also, that I am no longer a member of the Free Will Baptist 
connexion, it will be, I think, no more than justice, that the world 
should also know the reason why I am no longer a member oi the Free 
Will Bapti.it connexion, which I have endeavoured to candidly exhibit 
in the foregoing pages. 

I forgive all injuries which I may have received from any of you, 
and hope that you may be enlightened to see denomination, selfish- 
ness, and prejudice are an abomination in the sight of the Lord— the 
bane of pure religion, and greatest hindrance to the prosperity of the 
Redeemer's cause, of any one thing in existence. 

It is observable that you do not say any thing about the clfcirch of 
Christ, in your letter of excommunication — but of the Free Will Bap- 
tist connexion. What a strange alteration, or rather deviation from 
the mode of expression, which was formerly observed by this con- 
nexion of people. Read elder Buzzell's first volume of Magazines, 
and take notice what his ideas then were, and what the ideas of the 
people then were, with a regard to denomination, names, or rather 
calling the church of Christ by such party names. Read the life of 
Colby, and hear a voice from his tomb, concerning such sectarian pre- 
judices. But a few questions in the conclusion. 

1st. Was there a church planted in the village of Pawtucket, on 
Seekonk side, October, 1821, of which Mr. Greene, deacon Buf- 
fington, and myself were members, with others, as mentioned divers 
times in the foregoing pages and remarks ? 

2d. Upon what principles was that church constituted, that is to 
say, was it under the jurisdiction or control of any quarterly meet- 
ing, or connexion of churches ; or was it constituted upon the princi- 
ple of having the privilege to order and govern its own concerns— 
without being-biassed or restricted by any other church or churches 
whatever ? 

3d. Was there a meetinghouse built for this church the ensuing 
summer, after its establishment, and was the lot on which it stands 
clearly deeded to said church ? 

4th. Did said church make any alteration in their constitution, or 
by any act or voice of the majority of the church, secede or withdraw 
from their original establishment ? 

5th. Is not the same church now in existency in the village of Paw- 
tucket, or Seekonk side, with the same records, without any altera- 
tion ? 



45 

6th. Grand query, What has become of that Church's meeting- 
house ; for once they had one, but now they have none ? 

7th. If it be answered that the Free Will Baptist Church, under 
elder Allen have got it : I ask what church is this ? 

8th. Was it not erected in this way long since the meetinghouse was 
built, viz : Mr. Daniel Greene was disowned by the original church, 
after he was disowned, he got a few of the members of this church, 
all of which were females but two, to recommend him to the quarterly 
meeting, and some part of the number to strenuously attach themselves 
to him, in consequence of which the church disowned them, as it re- 
garded their membership ; and did not the committee from the quar- 
terly meeting recognize them for the first time as a Free Will Bap- 
tist church, in Pawtucket, in the summer of 1822, after the meeting- 
house had been built about a year! ! ? 

9th. Admitting for argument's sake that the church in Pawtucket, 
which was constituted October, 1821, was as much in the connexion 
of the quarterly meeting, as any other church ; was the quarterly 
meeting, warrantable in setting up a minority of said church : that is 
to say, about one fifth part, above and to the exclusion of the major- 
ity. If so, where is the freedom of the churches, as has been much 
exhibited to the world ? 

10th. If it be said that the referees gave the meetinghouse to those 
who are now in possession of it, I ask how came a number whose 
names I could mention, and that too by using the tongue of a lawyer, 
to endeavour to make it appear to those referees, that the church had 
altered from their first establishment, declared themselves independ- 
ent ; and what evidently carried the meetinghouse, that this church 
could not, as the lawyer termed it, make and unmake deacons ; but 
that the quarterly meeting must have this prerogative alone, when 
they knew that all the appointment which deacon Buffington had, 
when the meetinghouse lot was deeded, was from the church, and 
the church alone ? 

10th. If it be argued that Mr. Greene gave much towards the 
meetinghouse. I ask how much, after substracting the amount of his 
bill, which he presented to the referees, of about $500 ; and which it 
appears he was determined, if possible to get of the church, in case 
they held their meetinghouse, notwithstanding he had previously de- 
clared that the church owed him but about fifty dollars ? 

11th. Important question — how can men who mean to walk up- 
rightly, do as they would be done by, live with clear consciences, 
and die in peace, approbate such conduct ? 

12th. Observe, was not the meetinghouse taken from this church, 
upon this principle and this alone, that the church cannot appoint or 
empower a deacon to act in the church, nor remove one from office, 
Is this the views of the Free Will Baptist connexion ? 

13. If it is, why do they not let the world know it, and own that 
they are as far behind the Calvinistick Baptist churches, with regard 
to equality among members, and the independence of each individual 
church, as moonshine is behind sunshine, whereas they profe«s to 
have come out from them, and to be a more free people 1 [It is a 



46 

universal practice with the Calvinist churches, under the care of 
Dr. GaLO and Mr. Benedict, to appoint their own deacons, and I 
know not how many others.] 

15th. If the Free Will Baptist connexion mean to proceed on such 
principles as the foregoing, why do they find fault with the episcopal 
mode of government, or with the episcopal methodists, about their 
tyranny. Let them leave off throwing stones at their neighbours, 
while thay live in a glass house themselves ? 

I leave these questions, in addition to what I have before said, for 
your serious reflection-- feeling as if I had delivered a faithful testi- 
mony, and reluctantly discharged that which I believed to be my du- 
ty. Ask yourselves the question, whether you have used me, as you 
would wish to be used individually, if you were in my situation, and 
let us act as if we expected to see a time when every secret thing 
shall be brought into judgment, whether it be good, or whether it be 
evil. 



POSTSCRIPT. 

Since the foregoing went to the press, it has been suggested to me 
by those who, no doubt, are friendly, that the publication of it might 
be disadvantageous, that it might have a tendency to delay our get- 
ting another house finished, which we have already began : that it 
would stir up strife and the like. In answer to which 1 would just 
remark, that as I never undertook to write nor preach upon the im- 
portant subject of religion, in order to get money, so neither can I 
witt.old from doing either, when I conceive it to be my bounden duty 
for fear of losing money. We stand in need of help to be sure from 
a generous pnblick, in completing our meetinghouse, but it there is 
no other way for me to have it than by suppressing trutn, and throw- 
ing the mautle of pretended charity and approbation, over such con- 
duct as some of that which is exhibited in the foregoing, I never shall 
have it. And furthermore the reader should understand and remem- 
ber that I am literally constrained to make this defence, for my op- 
ponents, not content with what they had before done, have in their 
publick paper, styled the " Religious Informer," published me to the 
world, as having been rejected by the elders' conference as a disor- 
derly walker. They have not pretended to say what I have done, 
but have rather thrown out strong intimations that I was a bad man, 
and so left it in the dark. And tell me candid reader, what could I 
do short of exhibiting a true statement of the case. For one who 
read would naturally say he has got to be a drunkard, another he has 
got to be a knave, or a cheat ; and, indeed, as the proverb is ' silence 
gives consent.' I should give an occasion for the publick to come to 
the conclusion, if I did not explain the business, that I was verily 
guilty. Some may conclude as I have heard it intimated, that it has 
been said by Mr. * * * * that I made a very unhappy selection when 
I quoted James' words for the title page, " Go to ye rich men, 
4*c." that it would affront the rich, and set them against me. I an- 
swer, I did not make that scripture, neither was it I who first said, 
" It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for 
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Neither have I 
inserted these passages of scripture in order to cast unnecessary re- 
flections, nor to provoke any one to wrath ; on the other hand I do 
not intend to daub with untempered mortar, nor to cry peace and* 
safety when sudden destruction lies at the door ; and one thing is cer- 
tain, that they who love the world, are covetous, and trust in riches 
must eternally die, or Christ and the apostles must absolutely lie ! ! 
Think which it will be. 

In short, I conceive that every candid reader will plainly see that I 
have wrote simply in defence of truth. It has been suggested, also, 
that I lash the referees very closely ; but how could I do less than 
to state the case as it was laid before them, and give their decision. 
The principle upon which they appeared to act, in giving the other 



48 

party the meetinghouse was, that a single church could not appoint 
its own deacons. This was argued in their defence by their lawyer, 
and also by one of their v; elders before the referees." Is this the 
principle which the Free Will Baptists mean to establish ? if so, why 
say any thing against episcopacy ? Or does it do best in order to get 
proselytes to cry up free people, Baptist mode of church govern- 
ment, the people's rights, (and to.be sure almost every body knows 
who is acquainted with the Free Will Baptists, that they consider 
themselves by far, a more free people than the Calvinistick Baptists, 
yet the associations presume not to usurp authority over the individu- 
al churches, in appointing or displacing their deacons,) I say does 
this talk answer best to get proselytes, and the other mode of proceed- 
ing answer besfto get meetinghouses ? Again when the record of the 
first establishment of this church is read, and carefully attended to, 
what will become of that report which has been so busily circulated 
b} r some certain characters for some months past ; that the church 
lost the meetinghouse by declaring themselves independent? I ! ! 



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